Does It Even Matter?

Good morning, people! Anthony, here..

Picking up where we left off yesterday, Paul gives a pretty straight forward message to the church in Corinth after telling them to stay in the circumstances their in:

'Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy. I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress— that it is good for a man to remain as he is: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you. But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.' I Corinthians 7:25-31

As we read yesterday, your circumstances do not determine who you are in the Lord. That, in fact, it's your heart and faith in God that triumph over circumstances. In this portion of scripture, Paul takes it a step further and says that even your relationship status doesn't matter as much either! His suggestion (as Chief has been suggesting for years) is that everyone remain single if you already are. But his main message here is that married, not, grieving, happy, rich or in business.. none of it matters because this world has lost it's value in the wake of Christ's resurrection.

"For the form of this world is passing away."

He's not suggesting to dump any of it. He's implying that our attitudes of importance about these worldly things should fade because what's really important is our work for Christ. And this lesson is a thinker, for sure. We spend lots of time stressing on things we can see that satisfy our flesh. But, according to Paul, "the time is short" and we should be focusing our stresses on things that matter more. This is definitely challenging, but necessary for our spiritual growth. So, don't be afraid to ask the question as often as possible: