I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
“It is a contest, this life present: if so, to fight is our business now: it is war and battle. In war one does not seek to have rest, in war one does not seek to have dainty living, one is not anxious about riches, one’s care is not about a wife then: one thing only he looks at, how he may overcome his foes. Be this our care likewise: if we overcome, and return with the victory, God will give us all things. Be this alone our study, how we may overcome the devil: though after all it is not our own study that does it, but God’s grace does the whole business. Be it our one study, how we may attract His grace, how we may draw to ourselves that assistance.”
John Chrysostom (c. 349-407) in Homilies of John Chrysostom on Acts of the Apostles 15 (Oxford: John Henry Parker, 1851) 214.
Both the Apostle Paul and John Chrysostom are making a similar point. We must live like we are in a war and battle. We must not allow anything to distract our focus because the present form of this world is passing away. It does not mean we fail to show love to our spouse or family members. It’s the opposite. We expend all our energies to live on mission.
They might add that the Christian life is not about being comfortable.
Our focus is on loving God and others, while not allowing relationships or riches to distract us. We focus not on “dainty living” or being “anxious about riches” but on overcoming by God’s grace. This relates to generosity because it means our money can be neither hoarded nor wasted. The best part, when we live this way, we can expect the reward of victory someday.
“God will give us all things” (cf. Romans 8:32).