Undistracted Devotion: 1 Corinthians 7:35

1 Corinthians 7:35: "I say this for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you, but to  promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord."

The Apostle Paul introduced the principle of undistracted devotion as an aim for everyday life. Have you ever thought that it may be possible to live for the Lord without distractions? I used to teach special education. Almost all of the students I served had a variety of issues that prevented them from learning. While their problems varied, though, there was one problem all of them shared on some level. They struggled with focusing their attention for a normal period of time for their age and development. 

I have found their problem looks like the problem of many followers of Jesus. We struggle to follow Jesus without becoming distracted. I have often wondered what undistracted devotion looks like because my life is so full of distractions. 

The Pattern of the Undistracted Christian

This key scripture gives us two insights into the pattern of an undistracted life. First, the person with an undistracted life focuses exclusively upon the things of God. Paul wrote, "An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world..." (vv. 32-33). This principle falls in a passage where Paul is instructing the church in Corinth about relationships. However, I can't help but assume that undistracted devotion may represent the goal to which God calls all of us, regardless of our marital status. 

The Old Testament described some notable people as wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord. For example, the Lord described Caleb as a person with a different spirit because he followed God with a whole heart (Numbers 14:24). Wholehearted devotion constituted David's prayer for his son Solomon: "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought" (1 Chronicles 28:9). Josiah, Hezekiah, and David were also known for their wholehearted devotion (1 Kings 15:3; 2 Kings 20:3; 2 Chronicles 34:2). 

These few heroes of the faith were not meant to be the "professional" version of God's followers. They serve as an example for all of us to emulate. Exclusive devotion to the Lord has always been the mark of any faithful follower of God.

Second, a person who strives to live with undistracted devotion realizes that this lifestyle will impact the physical and spiritual realms of life. Paul described the unmarried woman as one whose aim "is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit" (v. 34). What may an undistracted physical and spiritual life look like? Physical devotion relates to what you remove from your life, while spiritual devotion refers to what you add to your life. For example, you should stay physically aware of the physical passions of your flesh that pull you away from wholehearted devotion to the Lord. Paul summarized it this way: "Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). 

You should also focus your spirit on the things of God. This principle is similar to repentance. True repentance not only reflects a turning away from sin, but it also represents a turn toward God (2 Corinthians 7:10). Likewise, undistracted devotion to the Lord not only involves eliminating distractions from your life, but also adding important practices that draw your attention to God.

In a well-known passage, Paul told the church in Rome to "to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship" (Romans 12:1). The work to focus you back on God is a work of the Spirit of God that involves using physical means to help you focus on God like consistent prayer times, a set place for prayer, a favorite book, a Bible reading plan, a study buddy, or any physical means to accomplish this spiritual work of God. It is the Holy Spirit of God who takes the spirit of man into the deeper places by incorporating these physical "interventions" to bring about the undistracted life. 

Life Application

Paul implied that there are certain life situations that may allow for an undistracted life to the Lord. However, it is the undistracted life that fully honors the work of the Spirit of God in each one of us. We must not use our life situations as an excuse to allow distractions into our lives. 

Here are a few simple tips for anyone who wants to live with undistracted devotion to the Lord:

1. Identify your distractions in the physical and spiritual realms of your life. What do you need to eliminate from your life to die to your flesh? What do you need to start doing to focus your spirit on the things of God?

2. Set aside a place where you can focus your attention on the things of God. Use that time to pray through a prayer list, worship, and read through the Word of God. I have developed a simple and concise program to  help develop your meeting place with God. You can find this resource at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SBLC4L8.

3. You will get distracted at some point. First pray and ask God to guide your steps to help you focus on Him. Then try different "interventions" that develop your undistracted devotion to the Lord. 

Scriptures for further study

1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Numbers 14:24
1 Kings 15:3
2 Kings 20:3
2 Chronicles 34:2
Romans 12:1-2