UBF Daily Bread

UNDIVIDED DEVOTION TO THE LORD

Passage: 1Corinthians 7:32~40

Key verse: 35

³²I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs^(A)—how he can please the Lord. ³³But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— ³⁴and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.^(B) But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. ³⁵I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided^(C) devotion to the Lord.

³⁶If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong^[a] and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning.^(D) They should get married. ³⁷But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing. ³⁸So then, he who marries the virgin does right,^(E) but he who does not marry her does better.^[b]

³⁹A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives.^(F) But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.^(G) ⁴⁰In my judgment,^(H) she is happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 7:36 Or if she is getting beyond the usual age for marriage
1 Corinthians 7:38 Or ³⁶If anyone thinks he is not treating his daughter properly, and if she is getting along in years (or if her passions are too strong), and he feels she ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. He should let her get married. ³⁷But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind to keep the virgin unmarried—this man also does the right thing. ³⁸So then, he who gives his virgin in marriage does right, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

1. How can I please the Lord? (32-35)

Paul does not oppose marriage, but he wants us to put marriage, as well as the single life, in the proper perspective. It is natural for a man or a woman to be concerned about how to please his or her spouse. But a Christian can't just live naturally. He must struggle to keep as his top priority how to please the Lord.

2. To marry or not to marry? (36-40)

The only Christian alternative to marriage is the celibate single life. Marriage is God's will for most people, but it is not absolute. Loving God and seeking to please him is the one priority that cannot be compromised. One can marry or not marry, according to God's gifts and leading. Even a widow is free to marry again--if the person she marries belongs to the Lord. Paul is personally grateful, however, that God has enabled him to live a single life.

Prayer: Lord, help me to keep spiritual order in my view of marriage and in my home. Help me to please you and not be captured by worldly concerns.

One Word: How can I please the Lord?