The Set-Up
One of the best things about being an adult is being able to eat cookie dough or cake batter whenever I want. I made a cake a couple of weeks ago for my mini-bff (what I call my small child friends), and I was able to eat as much of the batter as I wanted without my mom stopping me. It was great!
But with great freedom comes great responsibility.
Part of being an adult is having the freedom to make my own choices (i.e., eat a bowlful of cake batter), but part of being a mature adult is knowing that my choices have consequences (i.e., an entire bowlful of cake batter in my stomach will not feel great later on). When I was younger, my mom helped me make those decisions by giving me clear instructions and boundaries, but now that I’m older and live on my own, I have to figure out those boundaries for myself.
This was something the early church struggled with. Many of the first converts to Christianity were Jewish and lived according to the Jewish laws and traditions. Since Jesus Himself was Jewish as well as His twelve disciples, one of the first decisions the early church leaders made was whether or not someone had to become Jewish in order to become a follower of Christ. You can read about the debate in Acts 15:1-11, but essentially, the leaders decided that since salvation was a gift of grace, it wasn’t right to expect people to uphold their old laws.
This is where the passage for today comes into play. The believers in Corinth understood that they didn’t have to follow the boundaries of the Jewish laws and traditions. Because they were covered by grace, they could do whatever they wanted, and they were golden! But Paul writes to instruct them that just because they are free to do something, doesn’t mean it is a wise decision.
In this context, Paul is discussing whether or not a follower of Christ should eat meat that had been sacrificed to other gods. However, instead of giving a straightforward, “yes or no” answer, Paul basically tells his audience that they need to look out for those around them, not just themselves. They could eat the meat if they wanted to, but they still needed to be aware of and consider the experiences of those they spent time with. They had complete freedom to eat the meat sacrificed to idols, but was it worth doing if it hurt another person?
Despite our independent culture, this life is not about us. Our choices affect those around us, whether we realize it or not. Yes, we have massive amounts of freedom in Christ, but we also have a huge responsibility to care for other people. Our most important job is to love God and love others.
Passage to Read
Reflection Questions
Think about how you interact on social media. We are free to have our own views and opinions, but do you interact in a way that could be offensive or hurtful to those who see what you post?
There are many different views about certain biblical topics. Do you find it easy or difficult to respect someone else’s view that differs from yours? Why or why not?
Is there something that you are okay with but other believers might struggle with? How can you emphasize with them while still living out what you believe is okay?
Have you ever made a decision without thinking about how it would affect those around you? What was the outcome?
Prayer Idea
Thank God for the freedom we have in Christ, and praise Him that our salvation is through grace, not through keeping a list of rules and traditions. Ask that God would help you know how to live at peace with those around you, despite different opinions. If you’re feeling especially courageous, ask God to reveal anyone you may have hurt (even unintentionally) by how you interacted with them or by a choice you made that affected them. If He does reveal someone to you, reach out and have a conversation with them about the issue.
This devotional was written by Tonya Snodgrass