I want more than what I have and where I am. I want to be great and be revered and not have to be concerned with anything. This is a common thought and theme I am sure in the world today. It is natural to have these feelings of want and desire. The issue with it is that it will get in the way of what is most important, our relationship with God.
This morning I am reading and studying in 1 Corinthians where Paul is writing about being unmarried and/or widowed. He is referring to the pressure that comes with each of the statuses and how that pressure impacts us and our relationship with God.
“27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.” – 1 Corinthians 7:27 (ESV)
There is of course a lot more to the passage and I do not want to confuse anyone in thinking that I am cherry picking a verse to point out what I wish to say. What I see in this verse and the whole passage (vv.25-40) is that I am to be content in where I am in my relationships. I am not to be worried with where I am going or where I am from. I am to be in the moment with Christ and Christ alone. I should not be seeking something that will only cause me to be concerned with anything other than the LORD.
Now, as Paul mentions in the passage, there is nothing wrong with marriage, and if that is where your heart is, then it should be. What he is cautioning is the seeking out of marriage to establish some lifestyle or satisfy some want or need. There should be a sense of obligation to God first and all else lower down the priority list. Our contentment with our relationships outside of that with God should be paramount. We should seek God and not the satisfaction of our worldly desires.
Where are you in your relationships here in this world? Are you more concerned with those than with your relationship with God? What if we were simply to seek contentment in our worldly position and devote to God?
Trevor's Thoughts 