Holy

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. 1 Corinthians 7:34

I will have been married 49 years next month. When I have read this verse (and I’ve read it many times, for many reasons), I’ve thought about how I should be caring for my husband. I’ve looked upon it in relation to the submission verses and considered what is pleasing both to my husband and to my Lord. I could not imagine life without either of them.

Oh, my, but I’ve missed opportunities to teach my girls in Sunday School!!

Where else is there an explicit expectation given for unmarried girls? Here’s the dividing line between unmarried and married and their service to the Lord. My Junior High girls are in a position to be holy both in body and in spirit, caring for the things of the Lord.

Well, some of them. Remember, we’ve had a seventh grader visit our class the month her baby was due. Yet, she didn’t fall into the married category, either.

We’ve prayed for these girls, daily. We’ve exhorted them week after week after week, until some roll their eyes when we begin to discuss purity with them. We have taught them the commandments as well as the plan of salvation.

But we haven’t told them the simplicity of this single verse – that they can do things we cannot. We haven’t given them the expectation that they should be holy – not just pure, but holy – both in body and in spirit.

I’m afraid that more of our girls are interested in boys, gossip, drama and the general roller coaster of teens than caring for the things of the Lord.

As an example, one of our most faithful members could not seem to get her Sunday School lessons studied. So much homework, outside agricultural activities, busy family agendas, all kept her busy until late at night. Then came one Sunday evening when she mentioned to my daughter how she had finished a 600-page novel about teenage vampires. It took her a moment to realize how she had admitted placing her Bible study way behind a fictional drama.

Sunday morning I’ll have another opportunity to bring their attention to God’s will for the lives, and this verse, with my new understanding of its focus, will be available for them.

Please take a moment to pray for my Junior High girls. God has a place for them in His will, a strait path and a narrow way that will glorify His name. For this, we all were created – to do good works.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. [Ephesians 2:10 KJV]

"Purity" by Amy Fose, photographer. Available in a variety of media from FineArtAmerica.com