April 19th - 1 Corinthians 10:31

1 Corinthians 10:31 Life throws up many challenges for us in the 21st century, and it was no different in Paul’s day. One of the issues that he faced was meat taken to pagan temples as an act of worship before being sold by the butchers. Paul was quite clear that pagan gods were not true gods and so it really didn’t matter if the meat had been waved in front of them. But if someone were to point out that the meat had been presented in the temple, he concluded that it would be better not to eat it, out of respect for the informant’s conscience (vv27-30). The key principle in all of this was that, whatever you do, it needs to be done for the glory of God. Every day we have to make decisions. Most of them are simple and straightforward but, like Paul, we need to be clear about the guiding principle. We need to ask whether or not our actions will bring glory to God. We may be considering a purchase, a holiday or a new job. There may be any number of possible ways forward but the key question is: “What will be most beneficial and pleasing to God?” On the face of it, this might sound restricting and limiting but, because of the nature of God, it is in fact the exact opposite. As we discover God’s will for our lives, we find true liberty. God’s desire is always to enable us to be more alive. Question As you make decisions today how will you test whether the outcome will be for the glory of God? Prayer Thank you, Lord, that you want to bless every part of my life. Help me to share every decision with you so that I might bring glory to you today. Amen