Free from concern
by Tatiana Overduin
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I would like you to be free from concern (1 Corinthians 7:32a).
In this text, St Paul addresses the union of marriage between husbands and wives: with a focus, as written in verse 33, on being overly ‘concerned about the affairs of this world’. Overarching his point is the ability to be ‘free to serve’ (see also 1 Peter 4:10,11), which is why Paul highlights the option of remaining single or unmarried, including being widowed. However, St Paul also makes it clear this is not the Lord’s command.
Being married is serving the Lord, is it not? In serving one’s spouse and children, we serve the Lord in familial love. Therefore, we can establish that Paul’s aim here is that believers have freedom from the cares and worries of this life when the pressures come, and that is why he recommends that people stay single. We see this reiterated in the previous verse 29 of the same chapter in Corinthians, stating that ‘those who are married should live as if they were not’, and that most certainly doesn’t mean we ignore or abandon our marriage, spouse and family.
Whether married or not, the question, then, that we all could ask ourselves could be: ‘How might I give more time for the Lord’s service?’ There are many distractions in life, and although we need to recuperate from the busyness of everyday life, how might we create more time to serve our gracious God by serving others? We could reflect on whether we are making the time for daily Bible reading, reflection and prayer. We might reflect on whether there is a need to visit or call on a neighbour in need. Perhaps there is an opportunity to join with other Christians, grow a Bible study group, or there may be other ways to assist in church volunteer work. There are so many opportunities to serve our gracious God, all unique to our own circumstances. Today you may wish to reflect on how you might be able to increase your service to our Triune God in your life in gratitude for his gifts of love to you. Today you might ask yourself: How does God provide me ways to offer his message of salvation to others?
Dear Father God, help us to reflect on the ways we can be of service to you. You have created us to have compassion for others, and you call us to share Jesus’ message of forgiveness for others, especially with young people and those who have lost hope in life. We seek the Holy Spirit to enable us to complete the work you have called us to do. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
Tatiana is married to Jim, and they live in Largs North, a seaside location in Adelaide. They have two adult children and six grandchildren, who are a wonderful blessing to them both. Tatiana teaches full-time as an English, history and religion teacher; she gained a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Australian Lutheran College in 1996, and in her spare time, she enjoys knitting, gardening, singing for church, writing and swimming. Her home congregation is Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide.
- Click here to read previous devotions.
- We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
- Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.
