An obituary of a focused life.

Do whatever will help you serve the Lord the best, with as few distractions as possible.  With regard to marrying or staying single, Paul is saying, ‘stay single, or get married, but do what will enable you to keep your focus on the Lord.’

“Now regarding your question about the young women who are not yet married.  I do not have a command from the Lord for them.  But the Lord in his mercy has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you.  Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are.  If you have a wife, do not seek to end the marriage.  If you do not have a wife, do not seek to get married.  But if you do get married, it is not a sin.  And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin.  However, those who get married at this time will have troubles.  And I am trying to spare you those problems.

  But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters:  The time that remains is very short.  So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage.  Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions.  Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them.  For this world as we know it will soon pass away. 

  I want you to be free from the concerns of this life.  An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him.  But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.  His interests are divided.  In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and spirit.  But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband.  I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you.  I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.”  1 Corinthians 7.25-40

Allow me to zoom out and start with a broad approach--I was wondering . . . what will be said about you at your funeral?  What will your obituary read?  Consider the obituary of one Dr. Sam Dorfman ~ NY Times, Sept. 2006.   After the particulars,

“He will always be an inspiration to his family and friends for how to live life wholeheartedly and selflessly, always putting others first and giving unconditional love.  His grace, wisdom, kindness, compassion, intelligence, humor and sensibilities have enriched our lives and will always be remembered.  He was our center.”

Dr. Sam’s life and legacy did not happen by accident; he chose to order his life in such a way as to maintain his values, and live life on purpose.  In the next couple days, I want to unpack Paul’s message of ‘do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.’  It seems our hectic lives are often filled with the urgent rather than the most important.  Sometimes, it feels as though we have tended to a million little things but left undone the big things.*  Is there any help for it?   Or is it simply the unavoidable life we have of email, voicemail, cell phones, things that need our attention, places we have to be, things we need to pick up?  How do we keep the main thing THE MAIN THING?

Let’s start by writing our epitaph—how would you like to have your life summed up in a sentence or two?  Do you want it to include mention of living for God?  Is that how it would be described now?

John Doe was a successful businessman who never knew a challenge he wouldn’t take, but he never got around to really loving life….  Janet Todd lived her life______(by what values?) and  . . .             John Roberts lived for______________________________

Considering these thoughts helps us to see the sum total of how our living will be assessed one day.  Perhaps we are right on course, and perhaps we need to tweak a few things, then just possibly, we need to change our focus entirely . . .

Are you serving the Lord in the best way possible?  Really, that’s what this passage is all about—live your life unto the Lord—not giving yourself over to the distractions if at all possible.

More tomorrow . . .

Christine

*Rodney Buchanan, in a sermon called “Distraction”