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Don't Panic!


          Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
          But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (I Corinthians 7:8-16)
                I’ve known and known of people who seem to think they’re nothing if they aren’t involved in a relationship. I’ve also read of people who used Christianity as their excuse for ending a relationship or excluding sexual relations from their marriage. I can understand the fretting. As a never-married well into middle-age and watching what my father is facing, I sometimes get anxious about who is going to take care of me when I can’t take care of myself. I’ve watched nurses and aids in hospitals and Hospice care facilities. There are just so many hours in a day, and too much work to do. Ultimately, I know God will guide and provide, but I can understand the “I don’t want to get old alone” feelings. To these folks, I think Paul says, “Slow down. It’s OK.”
          I can also understand the feelings of the person who is married to a non-Christian, or who becomes Christian when his/her spouse does not. It can be hard. You change. The spouse doesn’t. It’d be so much easier if you were free. Once again, I can hear Paul say, “Whoa. Stop. It’s OK. Don’t use your religion as a weapon or an excuse."
          I can also understand the feelings of the Christian spouse who holds marriage as a good thing, married to someone who no longer wants to be married, especially if that someone wants out of the marriage because the spouse became a Christian – and changed. To these folks, I hear Paul say “Whoa, don’t sweat it.”
          In general, I think Paul is saying “Don’t panic!” Hand it over to God and watch Him work.

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