FROM NOW ON...

"From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, 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; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern..."  1 Corinthians 7:29-32

 

If I'm married...live as though I'm not

If I mourn...live as though I'm not

If I'm happy...Live as though I'm not

The things I purchase aren't mine to keep

Don't be caught up in worldly things

 

Wow, really? God wants me to act like a unhappy bachelor and yet never mourn over loss in my life, and on top of that, the stuff I work hard to buy I can't keep, and I don't get to have any fun. Really?

Actually, no. What God is saying to us through Paul is found in the last verse..."I would like you to be free from concern" in other words, put Him first in everything, I can get so caught up in providing for my wife I push God to the side, I can get so entangled in my suffering I actually enjoy it and get stuck in it, I can pursue happiness to no end as happiness is a emotion or feeling and is never satisfied, I can become greedy and selfish with material things making them of great value in my life losing sight of the things that are really important, and I can enjoy the worldly things to the point they become a way of life and it's hard to escape from them.

God should be our first thought, our first breath, our heartbeat, our life. Nothing! should come before Him, nothing should come between Him and us, as only then will He overflow out of us providing what our wives and families truly need, Only then will we trust God and find joy even in our suffering. Only then will He be our satisfaction, vindication, and defender, only then will we be able to mix godliness with contentment. Only then will we share what He has given us for the benefit of others, & only then can we live in the world, but no longer be part of it, as God is our dwelling place.

 

This is how we fulfill the commandments...do not worry, do not fear, be joyous always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. It is in saturating ourselves in Christ as our first and only priority. Then we begin to trust God and are free from concern.

 

This is not to hold us back & neglect responsibility, on the contrary, this is to set us free and fulfill responsibility.