Scripture

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

Observation

Paul advises the Corinthians with the aim of helping them to be free of the concerns of this life. Unmarried people are free to serve the Lord, but those who are married have to think about earthly concerns and how to please their partner.

If a man thinks that he is unable to control his passions, or that calling off a marriage would be unfair to his fiancee, then he should marry. This is not a sin.

Overall, though, it is better to remain single.

Application

The lordship of Christ affects every part of our life on earth. If Jesus really is Lord, then my life must be completely surrendered to the goal of serving Him.

Even the most intimate, most basic, of human desires has to be surrendered to Christ.

Paul does not lay down binding rules in this passage. He is realistic about the way we are created.

For some people, it will make sense to remain single so that we can devote ourselves entirely to serving the Lord. A single person can be flexible to go anywhere and do anything the Lord requires, without having to worry about their children or their spouse.

Others of us are called to marriage and the sacred vocation of parenting. This has its burdens as well as its joys. There are opportunities for ministry in being a parent that single people may not easily access.

In all things, we must seek God’s kingdom first and trust Him to supply what is needed.

Prayer

Father, I thank you for calling me to be a husband and father. Help me to walk through each day with the awareness that this is your mission for me. Amen.

Scripture

Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. for this world as we know it will soon pass away.

Observation

We should remain as we were when God called us. If a slave gets a chance to be free they should take it, but they should focus on the fact that they are already free in Christ.

Young women who are not married should not marry because of the present crisis. He does not say this as a command but as wisdom.

The time is short, and we should not focus on the things of this world. if we use the things of the world, we should not be too attached to them as they will soon pass away.

Application

Our age has many exciting goods and distractions to consume us and divert us from God’s purposes.

Phones, computers, cars, and so on are nice and make our lives comfortable, but they will not draw us closer to God.

We become used to our possessions and cannot imagine life without them. When we do that, they become like idols that stand between us and God.

We can likewise turn our career into an idol. The sense of worth and importance that we gain from our work can become more important to us than God’s assessment of our importance.

It is possible that the Lord may call us to give up some of these things that we value in order that we can serve Him better. It may be difficult to let go, but I have discovered Jesus always gives us more than we surrender to Him.

Prayer

Lord, my flesh nature wants to hold onto everything the world offers. Please help me to surrender all things to you. Amen.