S. O. A. P.

Here’s Your 90 second AM Devotional!

S-cripture:

1 Corinthians 8:13

Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

O-bservation:

With the inclusion of the Gentile people into the family of “Christian Faith,” the issue of proper food intake and other actions foreign to Jewish religious customs was always an issue. St. Paul continuously expressed in his writings that in Christ we are no longer bound to religious customs, but are now free. However, in this verse he said that if his RIGHT causes his brother to stumble should he eat something that wasn’t customary, he also had … “The Right NOT To.”

A-pplication:

Love motivates a “Jesus Follower” to do what they don’t want to do, and also not to do what they would like to do. Too often we have a tendency to overemphasize the rights we have in Christ to do a certain thing. In this instance, the Apostle reminds us that sometimes when it comes to promoting our rights in Jesus, and offending or wounding another “Jesus Follower” because of a certain religious custom he or she may have, we should be careful. Perhaps it would be better to incorporate … “The Right NOT To.”  Building one another up in our most “Holy Faith” through love must remain our bottom line.

P-rayer:

Dear Jesus,

This AM I’m reminded again that folks are always watching. Help me point people to You through my words and deeds, not to me by exercising my rights. Amen