I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, back in 1 Corinthians…

Now for the matters you wrote about: it is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband (1 Corinthians 7:2).

As we settle back into 1 Corinthians for a bit, let me remind you that in this chapter Paul is shifting from dealing with sin in the Corinthian church to answering questions that they had posed to him. It seems that, while some in the church were falling into sexual craziness, others were going the opposite direction. They were wondering if it wouldn’t be better to remain unmarried. Paul has noted that there are advantages to being unmarried, and we’ll talk about those later. However, given the immorality that was prevalent in Corinth, it was more important for each person to have a safe and godly outlet for their sexuality.

This is one of the great things about God, Beloved. He knows that you are a physical being as well as a spiritual being. He made you, after all. Unlike the ascetics, who tried to deny their bodies any pleasure so that they could enhance their spiritual life, we are called to enjoy physical pleasure–within its proper bounds. Food, entertainment, sport, sleep, sex–all are desires that God has built into us. He has also given us healthy ways to engage in them. 

If you are married, rejoice. God has given you a partner, and you get to enjoy your partner.  If you are not married, and want to be, and are praying for your partner, I pray that God will fulfill the desire of your heart. Things work differently in our culture than they did in Paul’s, and the process of finding a spouse is not always so simple. I know, and more importantly, God knows. As you wait, hold fast to God and live in a way that you know will please him. It is no easy thing to do, but your Father will honor it. 

Happy Monday, Beloved.