I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:35, NIV)
Hey, golf fan, I know what you were up to.
Midday Sunday you sat down and watched the wild round that was the closing 18 at the Waste Management Open. The leaderboard was too full of favorites to resist: Rickie, JT, Kuch, Bubba. And then things got weird. The rain fell, Rickie’s ball fell, and later so did Branden Grace’s. But in the end, it was Fowler’s winning putt that dropped in and the day was concluded.
Well, no. There was this other thing to watch. Yes, yes, commercials. But also a football game. And you were there for that, too, golf fan. You let yourself root for the Patriots or the Rams or a good game. You filled your stomach with wings and guacamole and your spirit with the pleasures of friendship. It wasn’t golf, but how could you miss it?
So, may I ask: Were you serving two masters, or were your interests simply divided?
It’s a biblical question, of course. And like many things we find in Scripture, it forces us to find a balance.
Life’s nitty-gritty may not make for the ideal scenario, but it’s to be considered.Jesus spoke of the two masters, specifically of God and money. You cannot serve both, he said. You may try to hold two strong loves in this way, but it can’t be done. “You will hate the one and love the other,” he taught, “or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Thousands of subsequent teachers have been led by the Holy Spirit to clarify that Jesus wasn’t just speaking of money. There are many other loves to which we might give our hearts and turn from God in the doing. It’s a grave risk.
But the Lord never denies the practical. And in 1 Corinthians 7, we find the apostle Paul taking up the matter of divided interests. This time the specifics are the work of the kingdom and the demands of marriage. Do these two clash? In a way, they do. Paul wrote that for unfettered devotion to God’s work, it was better for a man or woman not to be married. But he also understood that men and women live in the real world, where hormones and vows play a part. Life’s nitty-gritty may not make for the ideal scenario, but it’s to be considered.
As followers of Jesus and readers of Scripture, we have to take into account the whole counsel we are given. Here the counsel is circumspect. Interests and idols can take hold of your heart. They can tear you from God himself. We do well to be cautious, whether we’re talking about money or golf or football or anything else.
Yet we know that Christ lived this life, too. He knows what we face, including the difference between temptation that will cut us down and responsibilities that will build others up when we attend to them (think here of the financial provision working adults make for their families or the time-consuming care that parents give to the very real needs of their children).
Let wisdom prevail in your decision making—the wisdom you receive when you ask God for it (James 1:5). Strive for balance where you spend your attentions, but hold fast and first to Jesus in your affections.
—
Jeff Hopper
February 5, 2019
Copyright 2019 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.