“…Those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern” (1 Corinthians 7:30b-32a).
As Christians our attitude toward the world is radically different. We do all the things Paul mentioned—marriage, mourning, joy, buying—“as if not.” Believers engage in the entire range of life’s activities, but those activities do not entangle us.
God wants us to enjoy life. In fact, Paul wrote Timothy and explained that God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). God isn’t against us having things. He provides them. We enjoy “things” but we don’t put our trust in them. We possess them; they don’t possess us.
We do not buy to possess. We know that “things” aren’t permanent. The red Mustang in which Gwen and I courted in the 60’s has probably been melted down and turned into a Toyota by now. We use things but we are not engrossed in them. The reason for that is clear. “The world in its present form is passing away.” In other words, don’t tie yourself to this world, it isn’t stable.
Many live as if the world is permanent and we are passing away. We know better. We are permanent and the world is passing away. We can see into the future and know a better world is coming. We place our hope in God not this world or its “things.”
