“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. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:23-33 ESV)
There is a scene from Tinkerbell where the head fairy dust fairy goes and talks to an owl about his problems. He talks about how the other fairies are always causing problems and they are doing things that really cause him problems. The owl always answers, “who?” And finally the fairy realizes that he can not blame his problems on someone else, he is the one that has to face up to them…
We always want to blame someone else for our problems. Seldom do we do things motivated for the other. But that is what Paul is telling the Corinthians here to do. If someone sets food in front of you eat it without worry where it comes from, but if someone tells you it was sacrificed to idols, then don’t eat it for that person who told you will be adversely effected by you consuming the food. Everything we do should be based on how it will effect someone else, not ourselves, because God has taken care of us, we are conveying the message of His love to others, and that is done through our actions as well as our words.
So do not for you, but for everyone else. Allow God to shine through you.
aSacredRebel 