March 22, 2014

1 Corinthians 7:  ³⁰ those who mourn, (should live) as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep

Paul is talking about marriage.  He thinks it is better to remain unmarried, or if widowed, to remain single.  However, those who "burn with passion" can go ahead and get married.  It would be better if they didn't, so they could focus on the Lord, but it is okay.  This verse tells why he thinks that.  The second coming will be any day, he says, and we should not be attached to things of this world.

This chapter is Paul at his worst in my opinion.  He is preachy and judgmental.  He is not at all loving towards his fellow man.  The OT verses are about all the conquered kings and their lands.  There was a real lack of inspiring verses in today's text.  I really like this one verse however.  It has a kind of "fake it until you feel it" tone for the mourning, and the happy should not revel in their joy.  Both should be more considerate of others and live a more balanced life, seeking the tone of the moment so that they might be more available to the needs of people around them.  And I REALLY like the idea that we buy things but never become so attached to them that we forget that they are things.  The important parts of our lives are never the things we surround ourselves with.  In this time of Lent, when I am removing 40 bags of stuff from my house to simplify it, I know that our attachment to things makes our lives less fulfilling.

Prayer:  Lord, I am so glad that you have guided me to this particular Lenten sacrifice--to remove so many things from my daily life.  At the halfway point, with 20 bags gone, I can already see that my life is better.  Without the distractions of stuff, I am more able to focus on the really important parts of my life--serving You and Your people with love.
Amen