Religion
It's something that I've RARELY mention in the 4 yrs that I've had this blog. I don't talk about religion for my own personal reasons. I am a spiritual person and I see no need to impose my beliefs on you. These are mine. And you have yours.
Today will be different. Kinda...
I want to share with you some exerpts from a FUNNY sermon that I heard this past Sunday at my church. The title of the sermon was...HOW SWEET IT IS TO BE SINGLE
One thing that the pastor made clear that is universal...everybody has been or is single. Some have been single...married...then single. Others have been single...married...single...then married again. He tied the sermon to the bible verses, I Corinthians 7:27,28 ,32-35. One thing that I learned from the sermon is that it's ok to be single. Enjoy being single and you'll have no regrets.
HOW SWEET IT IS TO BE SINGLE
1. The ability to serve the Lord without marital FRUSTRATION makes being single sweet. (verses 27 & 28)
"Art thou bound unto a wide? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin (meaning someone who has not been married) marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you."
TRANSLATION
Are you married? Stay married. Are you unmarried? Don't get married. But there's certainly no sin in getting married, whether you're a virgin or not. All I am saying is that when you marry, you take on additional stress in an already stressful time, and I want to spare you if possible
2. The ablilty to serve the Lord without marital OBLIGATIONS makes being single sweet (verses 32-24)
"But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how many he please the Lord. But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in both body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband"
TRANSLATION
I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. Marriage involves you in all of the nuts and bolts of domestic life and wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands of your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God.
3. The ability to serve the Lord without marital DISTRACTIONS makes being single sweet (verse 35)
"And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction."
TRANSLATION
I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.
So you could avoid FRUSTRATION, OBLIGATION, and DISTRACTIONS by staying single?!!?
Hmm...
Now who wants to get married????
7 comments:
Great post! Yeah religion can be touchy. I still want to be married even with all that. LOL! If you're in church and living a "saved" life being single and having the ability to serve The Master is all well and good if you're a virgin. If not, then you are fornicating according to that same Bible those scriptures came from, so its best to get married IMO even though the idea of sex outside of marriage being a sin is antiquated. #formerchurchgirl
That might be fine for someone Who Don't Give A Crap about the union of what marriage means... I've had a taste of it and truly feel it's built in my DNA to be with the Lovely Lady in my life. I'm speaking for marriage, then divorced, then meeting someone that breathed life into the dreamer in me. I feel more distracted then ever before being single again. I suppose I get where those verses are going, to serving the Kingdom, but I'm not without flesh and yearn that of the flesh, meaning that of two becoming one and looking outwardly in the same direction.
That might be fine for someone Who Don't Give A Crap about the union of what marriage means... I've had a taste of it and truly feel it's built in my DNA to be with the Lovely Lady in my life. I'm speaking for marriage, then divorced, then meeting someone that breathed life into the dreamer in me. I feel more distracted then ever before being single again. I suppose I get where those verses are going, to serving the Kingdom, but I'm not without flesh and yearn that of the flesh, meaning that of two becoming one and looking outwardly in the same direction.
I think the point is that we shouldn't be so consumed with getting married if we're not. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I've been married and now I'm not and I really would like to be again but I am also enjoying my single status while I can.
I had to read this post twice to understand what's being said in those scriptures and I still couldn't fully grasp an understanding. I believe I'm sleepy.
But I do understand one significant thing - if two people are married, be happily married. If single, be happily single.
Probably better to serve God from a standpoint of happiness.
Very interesting... Good thing I'm not engaged or I would be totally confused...ha! I think you can see being single as frustrating, distracting, etc. also... I agree with the fact that you should be happy whether married or single..
Wow! That was deep, but i truly understood both what your pastor was saying and you. After being divorced for 5 years now, i have became closer to God, and serve and praise God so much more than when i was married. True, as a married woman, i dedicated most of my time to my husband and children as i thought i should have, but being single has allowed me to not only care for my children and family, but give God his praise on the daily. I never visited those scriptures, and if i did, i don't remember them, i just know that thru experience and living i have come to accept where i am and live the best life i can live. Surely (and you know this to be true, as much as i speak on it on my blog...i would love to fall in love and be married again), but i am also wanting someone who is equally yoked and can serve my God with me, side by side! Great post Kyle! Loved IT!
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