The Set-Up
Yesterday, our devotional focused on why we shouldn’t sue another follower of Christ. From a practical standpoint, I think not suing another believer makes sense – both the financial cost and the ridiuclously long process of taking someone to court just don’t seem worth it. And, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be able to deal with our issues in a God-honoring way, without having to bring in the court system.
In today’s reading, however, Paul goes a little bit deeper, and personally, I find it harder to stomach. In verse 7, Paul basically says, “Why not just let yourself get cheated?”
Wait, what?! Just let someone scam me? Yeah, okay, Paul.
I think the best way for me to explain this is to create a hypothetical scenario, so imagine the church parking lot after service. As I’m pulling out, I back into Pastor Cody’s car, bashing in his passenger side door. Now, there are a couple of ways to handle this situation:
I leave, hoping no one saw the accident.
I tell Pastor Cody what happened but refuse to give my insurance information.
I tell Pastor Cody, to contact insurance, and we work together to figure out a plan.
In each response, both Pastor Cody and I have different ways we can work through the situation. We can either work together to find a resolution that works for both of us, or we can try to cheat one another – not just financially, but emotionally, too. If I chose not to come clean to Pastor Cody, I would ruin any trust he has in me and my integrity would be shot. In that scenario, Pastor Cody would have the right press charges. He could also decide not to forgive me or to hold the event over me. Either way, if we responded in those ways, we would cause havoc on Journey Church.
Thankfully, if this scenario did happen, I know Pastor Cody well enough that he wouldn’t hold it against me, and I hope he knows me well enough to trust that I’d do whatever possible to clean up my mistake. It’s not about our “rights,” it’s about doing what is most beneficial to the body of Christ.
We are so concerned about our rights that we sometimes forget about what is most important – loving God and loving people. That’s why it is so important for us to lean into the unity that 1 Corinthians teaches. When we lose sight of what unifies us, it’s easier to take advantage of one another, to not care about how outcomes affect others. Don’t let your rights keep you from exhibiting godly character.
Passage to Read
1 Corinthians 6:7-8
Reflection Questions
In today’s and yesterday’s reading, Paul never says, “Suffer wrong and not confront the problem.” His concern is about bringing disputes before unbelievers to resolve. What’s the difference?
Is it possible to “accept injustice” or “let yourself be cheated” while still confronting an issue? Why or why not?
Why is it important for us to have unity in the face of disagreements?
Prayer Idea
Thank God that He has brought us together as brothers and sisters. Even when we argue and hurt each other, whether unintentionally or not, He gives us the grace we need to work through problems and find resolutions. Ask God to continue to unite Journey Church and Christ followers from around the globe by helping us focus on our unified goal – to glorify Him.