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First Corinthians seven addresses a subject that unfortunately is not very common in the church: the benefits of being unmarried. The Apostle Paul made some pretty radical statements regarding his encouragement for people to remain single as he was.
Often society, and even the church at times, makes the importance of family almost a god. Family, as we know it today (parents, spouses, children, etc.) are unique relationships that are tied to this earthly life only (Luke 20:27-36). We will retain these relationships on the New Earth, but they will not be based on spouses, parents, children, etc.
People are encouraged in Scripture to remain single so that they are not distracted by the needs of a spouse or family, and can therefore, have a more undivided focus on Christ (I Cor. 7:25-40). How often do we hear this message in the church?
Even Jesus made some radical statements that did not seem too family-friendly (Matt. 10:34-39, Matt. 12:46-49, Luke 14:25-27). In fact, most of these passages are down right disturbing.
I absolutely love my family with all my heart, but I need to make sure that my love for family never overtakes my love for God. How do we flesh this out? I think we need to wrestle with this question whether we are single or married. I am not sure the answers are as simple as they might first appear.