singleness...

The sermon yesterday was on I Corinthians 7:25-40. I have never heard a sermon preached from this passage before; it's kind of a strange one, where Paul talks about the benefits of remaining single and encourages those who are single not to seek a spouse. But our pastor, Kurt, is committed to expositional preaching, come what may.

Honestly, I had some questions about this passage going in. Why does Paul seem to speak so lowly of marriage here? Would it have been better for Nathan and me spiritually if we hadn't gotten married? Am I somehow an inferior Christian because I didn't remain single like Paul?

Kurt was super helpful in answering these questions. Paul is not negating what he says elsewhere about the blessings of marriage and the fact that marriage is a picture of the gospel. He is saying that both marriage and singleness are good options for Christians, but singleness is preferable given the current circumstances for the Corinthian church. We aren't sure what those circumstances were, but it probably involved extreme hostility to the gospel and persecution of Christians.

So why did Paul encourage singleness?

1. Marriage brings unique troubles.
As much as I love being married, this statement certainly resonates with me. Before being married, I could sin without directly affecting others pretty easily. Intimately sharing your life with someone else means intimately sharing your sins...And your issues with sin come raging to the surface, because you can't hid them from your spouse. Personal example. I have major control issues. When I was single, this seemed to be no big deal, because I could make my own decisions. Now that I'm married and called to submit to my husband's leadership as the church submits to Jesus, I TRY to submit but am constantly trying to manipulate Nathan to get my own way. So while I used to be able to manage my sin and ignore it, now poor Nathan has to deal with it, too. Very. Messy.

Uncertainty or hardship in marriage is doubly troubling, because you have to think about your spouse and your children, not just yourself. That's why Paul encourages us to take our current situations into account when considering whether we're in a position to marry.

2. Marriage, like this world, is passing away.
Is marriage the thing giving meaning and purpose to my life, or is the gospel? When I was single, I idolized marriage as what would be my ultimate fulfillment and satisfaction. I longed for it, prayed for it, and daydreamed about it. Now that I'm married, I still struggle with taking joy in my marriage rather than in the Lord. Beyond this life, marriage probably won't mean much. So how am I building into eternity?? I need to find my joy and my security in the gospel of Christ, not in my marriage (or my son, or my job, or my wardrobe, fill-in-the-blank).

On this side of the cross, the end of this world is nearer than ever before.

3. Singles have unique freedom to serve God.
Man, I wish I had fully realized this before getting married. Practically, this is just true. How could I have served the Lord through my church, through missions, through evangelism before getting married in ways I can't now?

What about you? Married ladies, are you like me? Do you tend to take more joy in your marriage than you do in things of eternal value? Single ladies, are you fully taking advantage of this season of your lives to serve the Lord in your church, or are you giving in to the temptation to spend your time and resources selfishly (like I definitely was)?

Funny that I could get so much out of a sermon entitled, "Christ-Centered Singleness." Praise God for his penetrating Word!