Now about virgins: I have no command
from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is
trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man
to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are
you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry,
you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who
marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. What
I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who
have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not;
those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it
were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not
engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 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. If anyone is
worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged
to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he
should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man
who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has
control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the
virgin—this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin
does right, but he who does not marry her does better. A woman is bound to her
husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry
anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment, she is
happier if she stays as she is—and I think that I too have the Spirit of God. I
Corinthians 7:25-39
Complete and utter devotion to
the Lord is a luxury that often only a single person can attain. A life that is
unfettered by the responsibilities as spouse and parent can be a life of pure
purpose and consuming passion for the Lord. One who is alone has the freedom to
explore a life of intimacy with God at their leisure. Time that others spend
caring for their families can be invested in the Kingdom of Heaven. A single
person’s loyalty is to God alone and to the Church, His family.
This world is passing away. Our
time to do God’s will is short. Jesus said that we should work for the night is
coming when no one can work (John 9:4). For those of us who are married, Paul
challenges us to live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. He
tells us to live as if we are single, taking care to not become entangled in
our possessions and the things of this world. Our goal should be to emulate the
heroes of faith that lived as pilgrims and strangers on earth (Heb. 11).
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