Singularity

 

But I want you to be without care.  He who is unmarried cares for things of the Lord - how he may please the Lord.  But he who is married cares about things of the world - how he may please his wife. 

1 Corinthians 7: 32 - 33 NKJV 

I heard a radio pastor this week speak to the fact that the apostle Paul had at one point been married.  To illustrate his point he pointed to the fact that a man in Saul's position in the teachings of Judaism would not have advanced as far as he had were he not married.  That is how important marriage was in his religion.  However, I definitely see some conflicts in Paul's writings on marriage which we find in his letter to the church in Corinth.  First off, it is obvious that Paul never knew what a "honey do" list is.  Either that, or our own views of marriage relationships has gone by the wayside.  For Paul lays out clear differences between married and unmarried men and women.  As Paul tells it, the unmarried (myself included) care for things of the Lord and how he might please Him.  However, the married man cares about the things of the world, and how he might please his own wife.  While I can see some validity to Paul's statements here, I also believe that they are not entirely true at least in the modern marriage relationship.  I have dear Christian friends who love their spouses dearly who also love and revere the Lord.  Are they going against Paul's advice?  Perhaps, but I think that it is also important that we view marriage in the context of which Paul was speaking that we might better understand his words.  I'm not at all sure that too many people today could survive a marriage relationship that was prevalent during the time Paul spoke to Corinthians.  See, in the world Paul knew, the husband was the be all end all in any marriage relationship.  The wife submitted to the husband.  Yes, Paul also speaks to the fact that husbands and wife are to honor each other, but the husband clearly was the head of the relationship in the Jewish society.  These, of course, were different times.  Fast forward to the present day and we see a totally different view of marriage than what Paul once described.  Not only has marriage become disposable, but it is no longer just a union between a man and a woman.  So, has God changed, or have we changed what God created?  I think the answer is obvious.

And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.  The the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.  And Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man."

Genesis 2: 21 - 23 NKJV 

I can't think of a more physical bond than to a person whom God has created FROM me.  This was the creation of Eve...from Adam.  This was done for a purpose, to solidify the relationship between a man and a woman.  Many of our modern wedding vows are taken from this part of scripture.  Well, as I recall, Adam and Eve were not married in the sense that we understand it.  God simply brought Eve to Adam.  Of course, God recognized Adams need for a partner {Genesis 2:18}.  But how does this relate to those of us today who are single?  Has God deemed us unworthy of that relationship?  No.  Even Paul, for all of his writings on marriage, recognized that there would be those who would not marry.  Paul speaks that for those who cannot maintain self control, it is good not to marry { 1 Corinthians 7:9}.  Now, most people are not single because they cannot maintain self control, but if you are single as I am, it isn't because God has somehow deemed us unworthy.  First of all, nobody knows the full intentions of God or why it is that he allows certain events.  It may be His desire that you grow in your understanding of who He is before you enter into a marriage relationship.  Despite being single, I do not entertain the thought that I'm not good enough for a marriage relationship.  That is something the Lord determines.  Can we make our requests known to God that we desire to be married?  Of course, I've done that many times in my life.  But remember, it isn't about me or you, but Gods desire for us.  If there is one I know about the desires of the Lord, they are always in our best interests.