“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
1 Corinthians 10:23-24
Many of us have had the opportunity at one time or another to explain to a child that just because something they want to do is typically allowed doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. We must weigh the value of our choices on the scales of glorifying God and loving our neighbors. Our culture (and that of the Corinthian believers) seems to magnify the focus on rights and freedoms. It’s true, we are blessed with many rights and freedoms, however, when we allow them to become the lenses through which we view the world and our choices, they become more like idols than anything else. Paul reminds us that we have indeed been set free in Christ, but more importantly than seeking our own satisfaction and pleasure, we are to be laboring toward the goal of glorifying God in all that we do, to be concerned for our neighbors from a posture of love not pride. We are to care so much about others that we would consider the well being and soul of another over our own. As Paul points out, these things require us to relinquish the rights we hold so dear and the freedom we cling to so closely. It requires instead that we cling to Christ and the call to love others and make Him known. Honestly, that’s a difficult challenge. In spite of the difficulty let’s encourage one another in our walk with Christ and our focus on God’s glory. As Paul says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)
VC Devotionals 