Book of Common Prayer

On remaining unmarried

²⁵ Now when it comes to unmarried people, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my opinion as (thanks to the Lord’s mercy!) a trustworthy person. ²⁶ This, then, is what I think is for the best: just at the moment we are in the middle of a very difficult time, and it’s best for people to remain as they are. ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Don’t try to dissolve the marriage. Have you had your marriage dissolved? Don’t look for another wife. ²⁸ But if you do marry, you are not sinning, and if an unmarried woman marries, she is not sinning. But people who go that way will have trouble at a human level, and I would prefer to spare you that.

²⁹ This is what I mean, my brothers and sisters. The present situation won’t last long; for the moment, let those who have wives live as though they weren’t married, ³⁰ those who weep as though they were not weeping, those who celebrate as though they were not celebrating, those who buy as though they had no possessions, ³¹ those who use the world as though they were not making use of it. The pattern of this world, you see, is passing away.

Do not worry

²⁵ “So let me tell you: don’t worry about your life—what to eat, what to drink; don’t worry about your body—what to wear. There’s more to life than food! There’s more to the body than a suit of clothes! ²⁶ Have a good look at the birds in the sky. They don’t plant seeds, they don’t bring in the harvest, they don’t store things in barns—and your father in heaven feeds them! Think how different you are from them! ²⁷ Can any of you add fifteen inches to your height just by worrying about it?

²⁸ “And why worry about what to wear? Take a tip from the lilies in the countryside. They don’t work; they don’t weave; ²⁹ but, let me tell you, not even Solomon in all his finery was dressed as well as one of these. ³⁰ So if God gives that sort of clothing even to the grass in the field, which is here today and on the bonfire tomorrow, isn’t he far more likely to clothe you too, you little-faith lot?

³¹ “So don’t worry away with your ‘What’ll we eat?’ and ‘What’ll we drink?’ and ‘What’ll we wear?’ ³² Those are all the kinds of things the Gentiles fuss about, and your heavenly father knows you need them all. ³³ Instead, make your top priority God’s kingdom and his way of life, and all these things will be given to you as well.

³⁴ “So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow can worry about itself. One day’s trouble at a time is quite enough.”