#DailyDevotion What Distracts You From Serving Jesus Wholeheartedly?

1 Cor. 7³²I don’t want you to worry. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s things, how he can please the Lord. ³³But once he’s married, he worries about earthly things, how he can please his wife. ³⁴He’s interested in two different things. An unmarried woman or girl is concerned about the Lord’s things, to be holy in body and in spirit. But once she’s married, she worries about earthly things, how she can please her husband. ³⁵I’m saying this to help you, not to hold you by a rope but to show you how to live nobly for the Lord without being troubled about other things.

The controlling verse for this passage is still, “the time has been shortened.” Paul is probably calling into mind Matt. 24:22, “But that time will be cut short for the sake of those whom He has chosen.” Many people think we are living in the Last Days. They are not incorrect. They are just incorrect as to the timing of it. Ever since Pentecost, maybe even since Jesus’ baptism we have been living in the Last Days and everything in the Bible concerning the Last Days has been being fulfilled since then.

Since we are in the Last Days, St. Paul tells us, “I don’t want you to worry.” In many movies where there is an antagonist after someone, that someone has a weak spot. That weak spot is their relations, a loved one who the antagonist can hurt. The antagonist threatens the loved one to get the “good guy” to do his bidding. Our antagonist is the devil and the world. Our attachment to the things of this world is our weak spot. The good thing is we are not actually the protagonist in the story of this age. That would be the LORD Jesus Christ. But in our mini parts we often feel like it.

Now I guess Paul’s Christians, his Corinthian Christians had more nobler single people. He says the single Christian is concerned about how he can please the LORD. I don’t know. In my little experience in this world, and I certainly don’t know everything, single people are more concerned with getting training, an education, a job and a spouse than how they can please the LORD. They are not spending their time studying the scriptures, praying and helping their fellow man. They are more caught up in amusing themselves. I am speaking generally of course. It’s probably my fault. I probably don’t stress these verses enough in confirmation, new member classes and from the pulpit. Yet here it is.

Paul also states the obvious. Married people are caught up in trying to please their spouses more than how they may please the LORD. This is living for earthly things. But Paul says, “I’m saying this to help you, not to hold you by a rope but to show you how to live nobly for the Lord without being troubled about other things.” In other words Paul is not trying to force us to be more devoted to the LORD Jesus, but leading us to live without being troubled by the things of this world which is passing away. He wants us to live nobly and devoted to the LORD. Can we not or are we not doing that when trying to please our spouses? I think it is more probable when we are doing our duty to them for the sake of the LORD. Being married does not carry over into the next age. Like the things of the world the estate is temporary. Being married can be a training ground for learning to love, forgive, and serve others as Christ loves, forgives and serves us.

Heavenly Father, for the sake of our salvation you have cut the time short. Help us to focus more on being devoted to Christ than to pleasing those around us, even our loved ones, so we may love them now as we will love them in your kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.