1 Corinthians 7:29-31 English Standard Version
29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
Here Paul is speaking to a particular group of people, the unmarried and the widowed. Much of what we all feel is spoken about here. Mourning, rejoicing, buying and selling and dealing with life in a world that is ever changing are aspects we all encounter. It feels like this advice should fit everyone but it was only given to a specific group of people. We must be careful not to misapply God’s word because of the sound. Not every word is meant specifically for us.
What might be intriguing in these passages is the term “this world is passing away.” We must look at it from the standpoint of the people that Paul is addressing and not our own. What that means for them has nothing to do with us at this time in our lives. We can view history and see how the world has changed and the world passing away for them has already happened.
We need not heed the advice given to the unmarried and widowed here. We should seek what the Lord would have us do in our own present situation, at this time in history. Times have changed and taking advice meant for a people that lived nearly 2000 years ago, might not be the best advice.
How do we use God’s Word to direct our lives in the here and now since so much of the world has changed? How does His Word apply to us now?