1 Corinthians 7:32–38
When we read this passage, we have to understand that Paul really was expecting the world to end. The Messiah had come, why wait? Over the years, there has been an interesting development. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches have elevated male singleness for their priests. On the other hand, Protestant churches have elevated married pastors above unmarried (including never-marrieds).
Then, all have elevated marriage as the be-all and end-all. This is just a reality, not fully a critique.
The phrase in focus today is found in 1 Corinthians 7:35, “…promote what is proper and so that you may be devoted to the Lord without distraction.”
Life is filled with things/people/activities that distract us from God. People are good: spouses, children, grandchildren. They are a blessing (or should be) from God. Yet, they can also pull us away from God.
Having a house and food is good. But they can distract us, too, from God.
The easy answer is media and technology. However, they just prove how distractable we really are.
Paul’s point was—and was even the intent of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Fathers—that dedication to God was very important. It is possible that the Fathers believed that if the priests were not distracted, the eternal salvation of the people would not be in nearly as much danger. Who knows?
1) What is Godly focus?
2) How can an obsession with focusing on God actually lead us away from God?
3) Too often when we pray, for example, a stray thought pops in. We might feel embarrassed or ashamed. “It’s okay, my child. I’m just glad you’ve decided to spend some time with Me.”