Secure Undistracted Devotion to the Lord  [1 Corinthians 7:8-40]


32But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;33but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

 

 In the rest of this chapter (you can read the whole chapter in the Daily Reading section) God through Paul discusses many situations of life that can cause concern - being unmarried (vs. 8-9), being married to an unbeliever (vs. 10-16), being uncircumcised or a slave (vs. 17-24), being unmarried or married (vs. 25-35), having unmarried daughters or being a virgin (vs. 36-40].  He is urging each one to "live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him" (v. 17, Holman CSB).

 

Why is he telling them these things?  "Now I am saying this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but because of what is proper, and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction" (v. 35, Holman, CSB).

 

May the concerns of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.


Verna McCrillis, 11/19/2008
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