Be Patient
Author: David Jeremiah
I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—
that it is good for a man to remain as he is. (1 Corinthians 7:26)
We’ve all heard the advice: "Count to ten before doing/saying anything you might regret later." In other words, impulsive, emotionally-based decisions or actions are fraught with the possibility of disappointment. If that is true for everyday decisions, how much more might it be true when making marriage plans? Patience is the watchword when it comes to such life-changing decisions.
The apostle Paul gave such advice to the Corinthian church when he wrote to them about marriage. He said, given the "present distress," don’t make life-altering decisions. If you are single, remain single; if you are married, remain married. What was the "present distress" of which he wrote? It could have been some sort of crisis in Corinth resulting in hardship, or it might have been simply the challenges of following Christ in an ungodly, antagonistic culture. In other words, sometimes life presents enough "troubles" of its own without making drastic changes impulsively. Marriage is good; singleness is good. Just be patient and seek the Lord’s will and timing.
This advice about marriage applies to all the Christian life: Be patient, seek the Lord, move deliberately and prayerfully.
