1 Corinthians_10

Scripture:1 Corinthians 10:23-24,31-33²³ “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴ No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.….³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³² Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— ³³ even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.Observation:Lots of talk about eating and drinking.  [Which is less than awesome as I write this fighting my midnight snack cravings…and there are Girl Scout cookies in the house.]  Paul spends this chapter walking through scenarios of when it is okay to eat/not eat, accept not accept meat. Understanding:The ultimate answer to this deliberation, though, has little do with meat at all; it comes down to love.  Living a life of love towards others – one that puts the good of others over the over our freedom of choice. It’s a reminder that our lives here on Earth are temporary and created with purpose – the purpose of knowing God and making Him known.  So, the answer to nearly any question about what to do or not do can be answered with “Show love.”  If we orient our thinking, our decisions to how we can best love others – in that true agape kind of love, looking out for their best interest – it makes our decisions easier, our relationships stronger and more genuine.Life Application: Go love on somebody! <3We can love people in our actions, our words, our thoughts, our prayers, through gifts, through kindness…each of these comes down to a decisions we make – to take others into account, to put others first, to have a servant’s heart, to seek the good of many, not just our own.  So…what will you choose today?We can do all things to the glory of God only when we remember the duty we must discharge to our fellow men; and we will do that only when we remember that our Christian freedom is given to us not for our own sake but for the sake of others. [https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/1-corinthians-10.html]