1 Corinthians 7:32-35 (NIV)
I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife—and 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. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
Paul lays out his reason for the stands he is taking in this section. He is not making rules and regulations regarding marriage in order to restrict the freedom of the Corinthian believers. In fact, he is not making rules and regulations at all. He is simply giving advice that stems from his desire that each Christian be free to serve the Lord wholeheartedly.
This kind of wholehearted service is more difficult for those who have spouses and children who must be provided for and whose needs and desires must be considered. If God tells someone to pull up stakes and go to a new city or a different country to serve Him, those who have a wife or a husband and children have more pieces to put in place to make such a move than those without those considerations. What about the spouse’s ability to find a job in the new location? What about school for the children? What if the spouse or children don’t want to relocate? It can get very complicated.
Remember that Paul does not want the Christians to get divorced so that they are free to follow God (1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 39). But for those who single and are considering whether or not to get married, Paul is urging them to make their wholehearted devotion and service to God a high priority in their decision, and not be merely driven by emotions or obligation, making a decision that might make other future decisions more difficult and complicated.
Father, it is all too common in the world today for Christians to focus on meeting our needs and wants as our primary goal, and then figure out how to serve You around the edges of the rest of our lives. We commit to being in church every Sunday, unless we have a “family thing” or a “work thing”, or the kids have a game. We commit to a daily quiet time, unless we have extra work to get done before the deadline, or the kids have a thing at school. We commit to serving you and to telling others about Jesus, as long as it fits into our work schedule and our busy calendars. When we are married and/or have kids, these tradeoffs and compromises are seen as an essential part of a balanced life. But how different was Paul’s life! When you told him to go, no negotiating or family considerations were necessary—he just went. He traveled light enough that if the call came to move immediately, he simply moved. And he wanted those who were currently single and unencumbered from family responsibilities to think well before they took on those extra encumbrances. Lord, help us to not try to squeeze our service and devotion to You around the edges of our busy lives, but to intentionally structure our lives with You and Your calling at the very center, even if we are married with kids, and pets, and a mortgage, so that You are glorified by every facet of our lives as well. Amen.