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1 Corinthians 7-8

Even though today is April 1 I would like to share something with you that is not foolish.  In the middle of our reading in 1 Corinthians 7 the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, shares with us a very important principle.   

The principle is stated three times – in v. 17, v. 20, and v. 24.  Here it is.  Christians should willingly accept their places in life, along with the situations into which God has placed them, and be content to serve Him there. 

 It is a principle against which human nature rebels.  Maybe that is why Paul states it three different times and gives three examples.  The point is that we should not be anxious about outward circumstances.  We should not be preoccupied with them.  We should not be paralyzed spiritually because we have an up-hill fight in life.  It is possible to be a Christian in the middle of anything, even harsh conditions.  We don’t have to change our circumstances first, and then be acceptable as a Christian. 

What does the principle mean in a practical way?  It does not mean that Christians should never try to better themselves or be the best they can be. 

But God teaches that the Christian should live contentedly in the station of life in which God places him.  God’s people can and must live as Christians in whatever the social, economic, and religious level of society they are.  Their conditions do not affect  their relationship with and their service to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We can be content with who we are and with how God has endowed us.  Not every one is . . . 

As smart as he would like to be

As attractive as the next person

As skilled as your father-in-law

As wealthy as Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates

As “together” as a normal person

Unsullied by the past

As personable as a tv weather forecaster

As articulate as a public speaker

As bold as Wyatt Earp

Or as prominent as Bernie Hostetter, I mean Sanders

It’s okay to be who you are, where you are, what you are – you don’t have to be somebody else.  When you become a Christian, you come just as you are.  Who you are, where you are, and what you are, are God’s doing.

Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  We are in good hands, aren’t we?
Paul Thompson














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