So far this week, we’ve been talking about staying where God has placed us—whether that’s as a spouse or a single person. Our romantic relationships and our life stage aren’t about us, but we often think they are.
But today we hit a passage near the end of the chapter that seems to contradict everything we’ve looked at so far.
Read 1 Corinthians 7:29–31.
29 But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. 30 Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. 31 Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
(NLT)
On the surface, it seems like Paul is saying the present world is passing away, which means we should live as if we aren’t in our current life stage. But we have to take this passage in context with the rest of the chapter. Re-read the verses in 1 Corinthians 7:25-28.
Paul is talking directly to people who are unmarried and who haven’t been married before. He goes out of his way to make it clear that what he’s saying isn’t a command. It’s just his pastoral advice. He’s telling single adults that their time might be better spent if they stay unmarried.
So when we get to the next verse 1 Corinthians 7:29, Paul’s still addressing the never-married crowd. He reminds them that this life is short. We should spend our time wisely. In Paul’s eyes, the wisest way forward for a single person is to continue to be single and to commit every day to God without being bogged down with the worries of the world.
Paul’s adding to what he’s already been saying about relationships. They aren’t about us and we should live well in the relationships God has placed us in. But that’s not the end of the story.
Our days on earth are numbered. But Jesus will return one day, raise us to life, and usher us into eternity. We live today in light of that hope. Paul wants the Corinthians to know why we stay in marriages with unbelievers or remain celibate as single adults. It’s because there’s a future on the horizon for us in Jesus.
The present world won’t last.
We’re living for one that will.
Close your eyes for a few minutes. Picture one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever seen. Now try to make the image in your mind even more stunning—add flowers, make the sun shine brighter, and scent the air with pine trees.
Sit in that image for a while.
Write down what you see.
In the closing pages of the Bible, John describes eternity as a new heaven and a new earth. We aren’t waiting for some pew-bound, never-ending worship service. Newness is coming. What you just pictured in your mind is closer to what eternity will look like than white robes and harps. That’s the image Paul wanted the Corinthians to look forward to. We live faithfully today while also holding tightly to the hope that is to come.
How do you feel about that future world that Jesus went to prepare for us?
Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below
How do you feel about that future world that Jesus went to prepare for us?
It’s so hard for me to not focus on the now instead of seeing the overall big picture of living for Christ because he will return one day. I’m scared of the future but I pray I cling onto the hope that God’s kingdom is far more worth than anything temporary on Earth.
I cannot wait to see what Jesus has prepared for us. I know full well that even the most majestic and awesome thing I can imagine will pale in comparison to what Jesus has in store for us. There is a reason the Bible says that God’s ways are higher than ours because even the most idyllic scene that any of us could imagine will not compare. That is what awaits all of us who call on Jesus as our lord and savior.