Serve God Fully

Read: 1 Corinthians 7
“Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches.” 1 Corinthians 7:17

Examine:
In this chapter Paul unpacks following after God in the midst of everyday life. He addresses this for singles, marrieds and single agains. There is a lot of room for confusion in this Chapter and I have heard many conflicting messages on it. The bottom line truth of this chapter to me is found in this verse. Paul seems to be saying from where you are, just as you are, serve God fully.

Apply:
Living life and serving God fully is a difficult proposition. Paul clearly acknowledges this challenge in this chapter. As I try and keep all the balls in the air things can get confusing and I can feel stretched thin. In this chapter I see three things that will help. First, I can’t treat temporary things as being more important than eternal things. There are days when the temporary pressures of being a husband, dad, and laborer cause me to loose sight of what really matters. My joy always needs to be pointed toward the eternal and I should learn how to detach myself from things that are not.

Second, I need to be true to the me God desires me to be. It is tempting in life to look at how other people live their life, identify those who seem to have it all together, and then try and emulate their success. There is some truth in modeling best practices but at the end of the day the best practice is discovering what is right according to my calling, gifting, and circumstances and then pursuing that with all that is within me.

Finally, I have to keep serving God first. Sometimes it can get confusing when it comes to sorting out major decisions. What is right for me, what is right for my family, what is right for my team, and what is right by God can often times feel like they are in great conflict. The solution to this is simple. The only question that matters is what is right by God. If God asks me to walk into a situation that is risky for my family I am far better to be in a risky place with the presence of God than to be in a safe place without Him.

Prayer:
From where I am, just as I am, and with all I am I give myself to You. My life does not matter to me. The temporary pain, disappointment and confusion that often accompanies following after You is nothing when I put it into an eternal perspective. My deepest desire and consuming longing is to be centered on Your will, fully engaged in Your mission, and living my life like heaven is a reality to me now. I am weak and You know that. Strengthen me today to fulfill the true desire of my heart.