Be Content...Single Or Married

1 Corinthians 7:17 - But be sure in deciding these matters that you are living as God intended, marrying or not marrying in accordance with God’s direction and help, and accepting whatever situation God has put you into. This is my rule for all the churches.

 

The church had asked Paul some specific questions about marriage.  They had been living in a culture where idol worship and pagan gods required many immoral acts of a sexual nature. The newly converted Christians were afraid that sexual relations in any form would be considered sin. Paul wanted them to know that marriage was the only avenue that sexual relations was deemed good in God’s sight…and that marriage was between one man and one woman.  It was a relationship that should be considered binding unto death.

 

Paul also wanted the single people that had been saved to know that they had a unique opportunity to be more committed to God’s work. The fact that they were not bound to another in marriage gave them freedom to work for God in a more time consuming way. They could devote their complete being to God…not having to share time with a family or spouse.

 

He said to be content with the place God had put them.  If they were single…they were not to go looking for a mate. They are to consider the fact that God may have a job for them to do that will take all of their time and effort.  If they were married…they were to give their spouse the respect and time needed to have the best relationship they could have.

 

I admit that Paul’s words here are not what most of us think is the way of the world.  We grow up in families…and naturally think that life is incomplete if we don’t fall in love and marry the perfect spouse ourselves. The world tries to trick singles into thinking that we are not whole people if we haven’t found that perfect soul mate to share life with. I remember feeling like a total failure when I signed my divorce papers…and even more of a failure when my second husband died. If I had a dollar for everyone who has tried to convince me to put myself back out there in the dating pool…my retirement fund would be rich beyond my dreams.

 

I must testify that there was something in the way that God pulled me close to him after my first marriage fell apart in divorce…and let me crawl up in his lap after my second husband died…that helped me understand the truth of what Paul tells us here. It is so hard to convince others that I am fully content to be single in this season of life.  I am not bound by the world’s concept of love…but feel so completely loved by God that I can’t imagine ever knowing anything better. I will not turn down an invite for coffee or dinner if asked…but don’t feel slighted anymore if I never get asked.