Without Carefulness and Without Distraction

Yesterday I brought an extremely important message to our congregation about the dangers of our modern age of technological advancement. We live in an age characterized by “the information explosion.” I pointed out that we have become a nation that is addicted to noise, constant contact, and instant information. All of this tends to crowd and overcharge the mind with the result that our love for the Lord Jesus Christ weakens or waxes cold, to borrow the language of our Lord in Matthew 24:12. I taught the church yesterday that Paul prophesied in 1Timothy 3:1-7 of perilous times in the last days. The men of these times “shall be lovers of their own selves” and “lovers of pleasures more than of God.” The love of God will definitely not be the most dominant influence in men’s lives. What I find alarming is that these times when the love of God will be suppressed, information will be exploding. During these days men shall be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” There will be so much information available to learn, and yet with such a plethora of information there will be little arrival at truth. This led me to warn the church to keep the strictest guards on all the modern gadgets and entertainments that vie for the attention of our minds so that our love for God does not become choked by “cares and riches and pleasures of this life” (Luke 8:14).

There is a very relevant passage that I did not include in yesterday’s sermon that contains the two prepositional phrases in the title of this meditation. It is 1 Corinthians 7:29-35.

1 Corinthians 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;
30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
32 But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:
33 But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.
34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
35 And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

Let’s define the two nouns that I have italicized in this passage.

Carefulness – The quality of state of being careful. Solicitude, anxiety, concern. Heedfulness, vigilance, attentiveness, exactness, caution.

Distraction – A drawing or being drawn asunder. The drawing away (of the mind or thoughts) from one point or course to another; diversion of the mind or attention.

In the context of Paul’s admonition, carefulness refers to having things to care for.

To care for – to take thought for, provide for, look after, take care of.

If one is careful or full of care, he has a lot of things to care for. Therefore, to be without carefulness is to have fewer things to care for or to look after. The fewer things one has to look after, the fewer things there are to cause distraction, fewer things that draw the mind and thoughts away from what they should be focused upon. That is why I stressed in my message the necessity for stepping back from the rush and racket of our fast-paced life and considering our ways. How many activities do we do and how many things do we possess that needlessly clutter our lives and cause distraction? And make no mistake about it! Nothing pleases our adversary the devil more than to have our minds and thoughts so drawn away to other things, that we have difficulty focusing when it comes to attending upon the Lord.

In the passage we are considering Paul lists several things such as having a spouse, weeping, rejoicing, buying, possessing, and generally using the world. All these things he listed are certainly lawful and may be used. But he warns against their being abused. When these things so occupy our minds that they come ahead of the Lord and those things which He commands of us, then we have abused them. It is a great blessing to have a spouse. “Marriage is honourable in all” (Hebrews 13:4). But when the spouse is cared for ahead of the Lord, then the spouse has become a distraction. If you have time and money for cable television, movies, computer games, sports, internet surfing, vacations, or whatever; but you set aside little or nothing to give to God, you never crack a Bible, or you scarcely pray, you are not attending upon the Lord without distraction. No relationship, no grief, no pleasure, and no possession should ever be allowed to so claim our attention, that God’s interests get shoved into the background.

We would all do well to seek out ways to simplify our lives and eliminate cares so that we may attend upon the Lord without distraction. If something you are using is claiming too much attention, then cut it back or cut it out. I know whereof I speak. God willing, I will be hosting a day of prayer in my home in two days. Today I had a chance to go and do something that I very much enjoy, and when I say “very much” I mean very much. But I feared that engaging in this fun today might take too much out of me. I believe I need to rest up and orient my thoughts toward attending upon the Lord that day without distraction. Therefore, I declined the opportunity. Although this is displeasing to the flesh, I know I have made the right decision. This is just a tiny example of the kinds of decisions we sometimes ought to make so that, as Paul says, we “may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

If it pains you to part with things to simplify your life or to eliminate distraction, then remember something I said yesterday in my sermon: We profess to be followers of One Who never owned a home and, when He needed an ass, He borrowed one. May God bless this meditation to your soul and to His glory. Amen.

Unsolicited Advice

Are you one of those people who spend advice freely even when it is not asked for? You mean well. Whenever you hear of a problem, you want to fix it. You want to help people because you care. But have you ever noticed that very often your advice is not followed? The reason for this is likely because your advice was not sought in the first place. You just gave it anyway.

Solomon, the wisest of men, teaches us that it is a wise man who will take advice.

Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

Proverbs 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

But the reason a wise man will so readily receive advice is because he seeks it!

Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Our Lord also taught that it is the seeker that finds.

Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

In fact, our Lord likened the kingdom of heaven to a man seeking goodly pearls and finding “one pearl of great price.”

Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Here is an interesting verse in this connection:

Proverbs 20:5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

There are people who are not free with their advice. They keep their advice deep down within them. But a man of understanding who wants to learn will find ways to draw that counsel out of them. It may take some time and probing, but he will not pass up good counsel if he thinks it is to be had. He will make an effort to draw it out. A man of understanding will leave no stone unturned in his effort to get answers.

While a wise man will seek counsel, a fool and a scorner will not only not seek advice, they will despise and reject it when it is given.

Proverbs 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:…
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Proverbs 15:12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

It has been said that when there is a student, there will be a teacher. One must have a desire to learn before he will learn. A man is not as likely to follow advice that he is not looking for. I know I have spent a lot of time advising people on how to handle a problem and my advice has not been followed. But when I think back on it, when the person told me his/her problem, they did not ask for advice on how to handle it. They were just venting or complaining. They were not seeking a solution.

Now to be sure, sometimes we just want to talk about our problem. I have found that often in talking out a problem with a friend, as I bring the problem before him I am actually getting it out of me and in front of me so as to more objectively consider it. In so doing, I sometimes find the answer. That is one thing. But then there are times when we just want to complain because we want attention and sympathy or we want someone else to rescue us from something that is ours to deal with. This is not healthy. People who do this a lot should not be surprised if others avoid them. We only have so much sympathy to give to others before we become weary with the complaining. At that point we just want to tell that person something like this: “Look! This is the hand you have been dealt. Just deal with it.” And when you think about it, that isn’t bad advice. However, it is apt to be resented by a chronic complainer.

Sometimes the wisest thing to do is to step back and let the person with the problem suffer to the point where they genuinely want a solution. When they are ready for an answer, then they are more apt to seek it. And that is when your advice will do the most good.

So next time someone brings a problem to you, but does not seek advice, just listen and see if they come up with an answer. If they keep coming to you with the same set of complaints, ask the person if they are just venting or do they want a solution. That may just set them to thinking about what they are doing. When they ask for your advice, then meekly give it. If they insist on continuing to complain and you suspect that they will resent and reject any advice you attempt to give, you may just have to back off and leave them to their choice. Scripture will support such a decision.

Proverbs 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

In conclusion, a good suggestion is to be sparing and selective with your advice. If you would save yourself some time, breath, and frustration, it might be a good idea to withhold your advice until it is sought.