What does 1 Corinthians 7:33 mean?

The advantage for the unmarried Christian man is freedom to focus his time and energy entirely on pleasing the Lord. Pleasing God is, indeed, the primary goal of our short lives on this side of eternity. Paul has made clear throughout this chapter that marriage is good, but he is making the case that those who are unmarried should consider remaining single.

Christian men who are married are divided between living to please Christ and living to please their wives. Paul does not condemn them for this. Christian marriage binds two people into one. When pursued according to Christian principles, it is a life spent in service to the other (Ephesians 5:22–33). In marriage, a Christian man serves God and represents Christ in the way he loves His wife. It is a high calling.

Paul wants his readers to see, though, that married life is not the only calling we can get from God when it comes to relationships. Those gifted by God with contentment in singleness can lead undivided lives, entirely focused on service to the Lord.