The Married Life in Context of Corinth

But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided.

 -1 Corinthians 7:28-33

Ahhhh, now this was refreshing...  We all know how different epistles carry different contexts.  Paul's charge to the Ephesians for "Husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it", is complimentary, but not contradictory, to what is mentioned here to the Corinthians.  Instead, Paul tells those who are married to assume as though they had none.  Of course, he is not compelling husbands to adultery and neglect, but he is spurring the husbands to a deeper and more urgent care for the things of God.

This is exactly what I needed this morning.  Last night, I vented my frustrations to Cindy about how I have felt as a newly married husband.  That's right, frustrations...  You see, I would consider myself more akin to the Corinthian generation.  Corinth was known for its sexual immorality and incredibly sensual lifestyle.  They housed the temple of Aphrodite whose temple prostitutes serviced the land around the clock!  Sex was their religion, and growing up, the average boy in the 90's, it was mine too.

What's been killing me as of late is the adjusting.  Everything I have ever known has changed.  Every time my friends and I would go out it would be to flaunt ourselves and parade around in search of girls.  Girls, girls, girls.  They were the end to which there were so many means!  Even after I came to know the Lord, my friends and I still went church hopping to scope out the places for some hotties. 

 

But now the game has changed.  No more daily endeavors to find a partner.  I've already done that, and for some reason it has become so utterly painful trying to bring my body into subjection!  Who thought marriage would be such work!?  (Sarcasm...)

I find Paul's words so comforting because in the days of Corinth people were just itching to break their marriage covenant so that they might gallivant around with whatever caught their eye in that moment.  As much as I wish I didn't, I know that feeling and I have been beating myself up the past couple months in dealing with it.  I have been dismayed, demotivated, and depressed because of the evil that is still in my heart.  I so desperately want to love my wife with undivided devotion, while loving the Lord with all my heart, soul, and strength, but I find myself so exhausted by the end of the day fighting down all that is within me that rises up against both of them.  Don't get me wrong, I am not saying I want to cheat on my wife, in fact the opposite, however, I am shocked that despite my will I am still tempted as any man is tempted.  (Please don't misunderstand me)

I take comfort in knowing that others have fought this fight.  I rest in the Word of God because only it has the power to transform my mind, and although I am still adjusting, as long as I focus on my relationship with the Lord, then my relationship at home will prosper as well.  I just had my priorities mixed up...  Thanks God for sorting that out!

But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice. . .

. . . I want you to be free from concern. . .