I Corinthians 7

“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him” (v17).  Paul’s teachings on marriage would have surprised his society for several reasons.  First, traditional cultures saw marriage as the goal for all adults, but Paul believed both singleness and marriage were pleasing to the Lord. Secondly, in a society where men were not expected to be sexually faithful, he taught that husbands and wives had the same exclusive claims to one another (v3-4).  Third, while society disdained widows, Paul saw them as honorable servants of God (v8,39-40).

“You were bought with a price” (v23). Married or single, whatever our situation, our lives can bring glory to Jesus.