Bible Reading Challenge #16
I’ll be honest—this passage was a real challenge for me. After Paul addresses those who are engaged, he makes a confusing statement in verses 29–31:
“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, 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, 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.”
At first glance, it sounds like Paul is calling us to completely disengage from life—ignoring our marriages, our emotions, our celebrations, even our work. It almost reads as if Paul is telling believers to stop doing everyday responsibilities because “time is short.”
But after digging deeper, I’ve come to understand that Paul isn’t telling us to abandon our duties (otherwise, much of chapter 7 would contradict itself). Instead, he’s calling us to a perspective shift. The victory of Christ changes how we see the world. We are not to cling too tightly to what is temporary, but to live with an eternal mindset. Yes, keep working, keep loving, keep doing the tasks God has called you to—but don’t carry them as if your future depends on them. Don’t let the anxieties of this world weigh you down. God is over all, and He is in all.
That truth feels especially relevant for us today.
Finally, Paul closes this section with a more straightforward teaching. He explains why he considers singleness a gift. An unmarried person can be fully devoted to the Lord, while a married person—by God’s good design—will naturally divide their attention between God, their spouse, and their family. Paul isn’t diminishing marriage; he’s elevating the unique freedom of those who are single or widowed to give themselves wholly to God’s service.
