Thoughts?

Readings from this week: 1 Chronicles 1- 9; 1 Corinthians 6-7

“ I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:32-35 NIV).

I haven’t had much to say about this week’s readings. The selections from 1 Chronicles have been a genealogy of names, from the beginning of time up to King David. I do find it amazing that so much was memorized. It makes me wish that I could list my family tree back farther then a few generations. In 1 Corinthians we read about lawsuits among believers, sexual immorality, and finally marriage. Paul truly believed that it was better to be unmarried. His thought was that if you were unmarried, you could truly devote all of your energy to God, while if you were married you had a spouse and family to consider as well. While I love being married, I do kind of understand his point of view. Being married is tough, and my focus is often divided between my husband and my God. It takes a conscious effort to ensure that God truly is number one in my life.

Just the same, being married is a wonderful thing. God has truly blessed me in this department. I’ve heard it said that a Christian marriage is the closest experience we have to experiencing God’s amazing love for each of us. The intimacy we experience with our spouse here on this earth is only the smallest picture of God’s love.

What an amazing thought! It leaves me feeling truly blessed.

What have you take from these readings? Did anything in particular stand out to you?