I just got married to a wonderful guy, and we just celebrated our first six months of

marriage.

Congratulations, Sarah.

That being said, I'm confused by 1 Corinthians 7 verses 32 to 34.

I understand Paul is making the point that you can live a more free life for the Lord

if you're single, but he says this.

But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.

That language makes it seem as though pleasing your husband or wife, serving them, loving

them, laying your life down for them, is pointless or a lower calling than being a missionary

like Paul.

Pastor John, can you help me understand this text better?

I don't know if I can.

I will try my hardest, and I totally resonate with how difficult that sounds.

Let me read a few verses to just make sure everybody's seeing what Sarah saw and what

I see.

Paul sees in 1 Corinthians 7 a fragile world, liable to come to an end soon, and he says

in verse 31, the present form of this world is passing away.

That influences significantly how he thinks and talks here.

So verse 29 goes like this.

From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none.

Those who mourn as though they weren't mourning.

Those who rejoice as though they weren't rejoicing.

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