February 4 – To Wed or Not To Wed

       Matthew 19:10-12 – "The disciples said to him, 'If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.' Jesus replied, 'Not every one can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs, because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.' "

       I just read a short one-page biography of a full-time Christian worker with a well-known American ministry. At the end of the article was a short prayer request for this worker. It read: "Pray for [Lora] that she would never lose her first love, Christ; pray for contentment as a single woman; and pray for wisdom should God's will be for her to marry." Lora is 40 years old and has never been married; she became a Christian in high school. The article gave the impression that Lora has also been working as a full-time Christian worker, personally raising her own financial support, since she graduated from college. That sounds like someone who is confident in her calling!

       However, the final prayer request lacked that same confidence. I believe that request was wonting, not because of confidence itself, but because of a lack of understanding of God's sovereign will versus his allowance of our freedom to make choices in serving him and living for him. Let's look at the last reference in the scripture above regarding eunuchs. This is obviously a term that is rarely mentioned in one's lifetime. Nonetheless, it is simply referring to a male's penis being removed from the body (I don't recommend it). However, the last reference could also be symbolic of the state of renouncing marriage for life, and, therefore, not physical. Regardless of the physicality, Jesus' meaning is that celibacy is a gift(!) for those who can abide by such, not needing a spouse and being content with living alone.

       Paul further elucidates this idea in 1 Corinthians 7, a rather long, but clear, chapter on marriage and celibacy. In verse 7 of that chapter, he also calls celibacy a gift – as well as marriage being a gift! They are both gifts. He also states that those who can accept the gift of celibacy, have the greater gift. But neither person is wrong for accepting whatever gift he takes. God allows us to take whichever gift we want.

       Paul's further instructions, however, start with verse 29 and goes to verse 38. He wants us married folks to be fully devoted to Jesus, and he tells us that earthly marriage can be a hindrance to that devotion. Jesus also clearly tells us that we are to love Yahweh our God with all our hearts, minds, and strength (Matthew 22:37). I am also to love God more than I love my spouse, which is strongly implied in Luke 14:26, Exodus 34:14, and throughout the 7^th chapter of I Corinthians.

       The upshot is that Lora is incorrect to think of marriage as God's will. She is free to accept whatever gift she wants, so long as her devotion to God remains steadfast or even becomes greater. There is no need to be confused about getting married, because either way God is pleased with giving you a gift. He is even more pleased when we love him more than the gift itself.

Pleasing God

 June 30 – Pleasing God

2 Corinthians 5:9 – “So we make it our goal to please Him [Jesus], whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

       All of us are at different stages of growth in our knowledge and trust in our heavenly Father and our Master Jesus Christ - which is why we all need reminders about how to live. We are told that Jesus has come to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10); however, that does not mean that he is to be our personal Santa Claus, satisfying our every whim. Our life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions (Luke 12:15), or even in the abundance of awesomeness in one possession. Pleasing God in our actions and thoughts is what will bring us the most abundant living possible. Look at Isaiah 58:13,14 in the spiritual light of Hebrews 4:8-11 (the fulfillment of what it means to keep the Sabbath as we rest in the completed work of Jesus, not in a literal sense of the seventh day of the week).  “ 'If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight [your salvation in Jesus] and Yahweh's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find joy in Yahweh, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.' The mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”

       Therefore, here are some reminders about pleasing God.

Romans 12:1,2 – “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's kindness, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, set apart and pleasing to God – this is your reasonable act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

1 Thessalonians 4:1 – “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask and urge you in the Master Jesus to do this more and more.”

Hebrews 11:5,6 – “...for before he [Enoch] was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. For without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Proverbs 15:8 – “Yahweh detests the sacrifices of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.”

Psalm 104:34 – “May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in Yahweh.”

1 John 3:21,22 – “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”

Philippians 4:18b – “....I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epahroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

Hebrews 13:20,21 – “May the God of peace....equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him....”

Isaiah 58 – This entire chapter, partly referenced above, describes obeying (pleasing) God and the blessings that will follow. These are awesome promises!