Remain as when called
Day 590, Tuesday, Mar. 24
1 Corinthians 7:17-24
Becoming a follower of Jesus leads to great internal change, but it doesn’t necessarily lead to a big change in external circumstances.
In yesterday’s reading, Paul encourages those who were married when called to remain married and those who were single when called to remain single.
In today’s passage, he encourages those who were circumcized to remain circumcized and those who were uncircumcized to remain uncircumcized. He encourages those who were free when called to remain free. For those who were slaves when called, he encourages them to not be troubled by their condition—but to gain their freedom if it is possible.
Paul wrote, “Each person should remain in the situation that they were in when God called them.”
Becoming a follower of Christ changes our reality even if it doesn’t change our external condition: For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.”
Paul prefers that people live in freedom rather than slavery. Even his preference for the single life can be seen as a desire to avoid entanglements. But he wants to keep the focus on the freedom of the heart, not on changing external circumstances.
This provides useful guidance in our day when we try to determine if a movement is a legitimate expression of Christianity or a cult. Cults are more likely to demand that their adherents radically change their life situations: marriage, relationship with family, friends and job. This is counter to Paul’s advice to remain in the situation in which we are called.
A person’s faith journey could well lead them to want to change some part of their situation. Such a change, though, should arise from growth in a person’s relationship with God, not from external demands.

Tuesday meditation

Psalms 102:23-28
In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”

Prayer focus
Let us live in your presence regardless of life situation.

-Rev. Mark Fleming