Christians have to be in tune with the times in which they live. Paul makes the Corinthians aware of this. They had come to faith in Jesus Christ and it had changed their lives. It also led to many questions. Paul reacts to these questions by referring to the rules underlying the Christian life. Let your "calling" determine what you do, is one rule. Another rule is: Keep in mind the time. In verse 29 we read that the time is short. And in verse 31 Paul says that the world in the present form is passing away. Already in verse 26 he had spoken about the present crisis. All three verses highlight the element of the present time.

In this part of chapter 7, Paul is dealing with being single. He highlights that being single has some positives. Why? Because of the current crisis. What is this current crisis? Verse 29 gives the answer, for Paul explains: "What I mean is this..." The present crisis is that the time is short. The word for "short" can also be translated as "compressed." It was sometimes used to describe the sails of a ship as it came into the harbour. The sails would be rolled up and shortened because you cannot sail into harbour with the sails in place! So the time is short, in the sense that the end is in sight.

Or we read in verse 31 that the world in its present form is passing away. The world in which we live currently, in which we marry, have grief, have joys, buy and sell, is passing away. We need to keep this in mind, says Paul. Again he takes examples from different areas of life to explain this. Those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn as if they did not; those who are happy as if they were not; those who buy, as if it is not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world as if not engrossed in them.

The time is short. Once again, let's use the image of a ship with the sails being rolled up because the harbour is in sight. The end of the journey is near, and all those on the ship are focused on what is coming. That determines their work. This is totally different from when the ship is mid-ocean. Now all hands are on deck, all focused on this last part of the journey. That is the attitude Paul wants to convey, one of looking forward. As believers we know that more is coming soon.

Let's go back to the things mentioned in verses 29-31 to work this out. Presently marriage is an important part of life, but keep in mind that one day it will be over; in eternal life there will be no marriage anymore. In the present time we meet grief, and that can be very difficult. But keep in mind that one day grief will be gone.

Presently we can have joy, but keep in mind that the things we now rejoice in will one day go. We buy and use the things of this world. That is not wrong in itself, but keep in mind that it is for the time being. That is the attitude of believers: live in this world, with its good and difficult things, but know that more is to come. The calling of the Lord opens up our horizon. That has to determine how we live in this present time.

Paul mentions this in the context of being single. When you keep in mind that the time is short, then you could say that the single person is ahead of the married person. No, Paul does not idealize being single. But the text teaches us not to regard those who are single as if they are coming behind. The single can focus more on what is ahead, whereas the married person has divided loyalties. It is not wrong to marry, but there is something more important: living in undivided devotion to the Lord. This is urgent because the time is short.

We all need to be in tune with the time, whether we deal with things that make us thankful or give us grief. More and greater things are coming. We need undivided devotion to the Lord. Keep focused on the Lord, in everything, in every situation. As believers we have to know the time of our God. Come, Lord Jesus, Amen!