1Corinthians 7:32 – 35 NASB – But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.
The other day I stumbled across two loose leaf pages of a journal entry from May 23, 2010, just over a year ago. I have no idea how this entry made its way outside the protective covers of an actual journal. My guess is the words were first written in whatever notebook was on hand at the time, and the pages were later ripped from said notebook with the intention of relocating them to the appropriate journal. Well, apparently the relocation never took place. My poor words have been homeless for over a year.
Shame on me.
Of course I stopped for a moment or two to read the words I’d written so long ago. It’s always interesting to look back to see where I was, what I was thinking, or what was the “it” thing in my life at any point in time. Apparently, the words I wrote on this particular day were revelation from God’s word to be shared in the book/study I am writing. As I read the words I’d written, I was a blessed once again by the wisdom God spoke to me at the time. The words speak to an area where women, especially those of us who are unmarried, often seem to “miss it”. I know I have.
Following is a short excerpt/thought from the journal entry I found the other day. It’s mainly for unmarried women, so if you know a single woman out there who’s trying to find her way while waiting to be found, send her over for a short read.
It’s so important for an unmarried woman to keep her eyes on the Lord and focus on doing the work of the Kingdom. In a nutshell, this is what the Apostle Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34. He was talking about unmarried men and women, but of course, I will be talking to the ladies. Paul knew that once a woman gets married her devotion truly becomes divided. Sure, if she is a follower of Christ, she still loves and is devoted to her Lord. However, her love for Him is very often prominently exhibited through her serving the needs and desires of her husband.
As an unmarried woman “divided devotion” should not be an issue. Even in courtship she’s interviewing this man through the filter/sifter of the word of God. She’s screening his personality and character, looking to see if he loves the things God loves and hates the things He hates. Wow! And the only way she can clearly see this is to maintain undivided, or “undistracted devotion to the Lord” (verse 35), keeping her eyes on Him at all times. His (God’s) business, His assignment and His plans for her still come first.
Thank you, Holy Spirit.
This is where I’ve gone wrong in the past. I was so excited about the companionship before me, the attention, and the prospect of being married until I lost sight of my Kingdom assignment to fulfill God’s purpose for us on this earth. I got side-tracked. I wasn’t cemented, rooted, in what I was called to do, so it was quite easy for a man’s presence to derail me and send me wandering down a totally different track. Wow! Just writing this book, I can feel the roots growing within me. That’s what 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 is all about.
That’s the end of the journal entry, but just re-reading it gives me so much more to say. However, I will save something for a later day. For now, what about you? Is your devotion already divided and you’re not even a Mrs yet? What (or who) is your distraction? Do you need to regain the proper perspective so that you don’t lose sight of what the Lord is calling you to do in this, your “single season”? See you in the comments. 🙂
Completely ME,
I’m so glad you shared this on the She Speaks page, Monica! Although it hasn’t always been a guy or a relationship that distracted me, I have struggled with keeping my eyes fully on the Lord and His purposes (career goals, etc. have often pulled be wayward). In the last year or so, however, God has constantly been reminding me to keep Him at the center of every thought and decision. Thank you for this reminder to keep the “proper perspective!”
Brittany….first let me say thank you for visiting my blog and for your comment. “Proper perspective” is a goal that I am working to gain and to keep each day. It’s always much easier said than done, but it’s completely possibly through the lens of the Holy Spirit.
Next, I must tell you I visited your place – Faith in Between – and I just love it! It looks like a place I wish I had to go to when I was 20 something. 🙂 Your “not about me” bio is beautifully written and tells me a lot about your heart for our Father. I love it! I pray we have an opportunity to meet at She Speaks. Please stop by again!
Hi Monica, I agree with the other ladies. This is a very timely message and honestly I must say I found myself with divided devotions. It’s easy to let time and devotion to Kingdom slip as He brings new relationships or opportunities into our lives.
Hi, Miss Wanda! I could tell oh so many stories of how quickly and easily distractions can creep up, coming in many shapes and sizes – things, people, etc. Some are of our doing. Others are not. My prayer is that the Lord will show them to me and that I will know how to re-focus from there.