Are Ya Trippin'????
"Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me but I will not be mastered by anything."
- 1 Corinthians 6:12
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble whether Jews Greeks or the church of God----- even as I try to please everybody in every way for I am not thinking my own good but the good of many so that they may be saved."
- 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
We are getting a new baby next month. I can hardly wait. I love everything about watching them grow. From the first smile to the teen attitude, every stage is wonderful to watch. The youngest years are the most fun I think. Watching a child learn to walk, talk, and develop her individual personality is great. And everyone loves the baby. Even the siblings don't tease or mistreat her. It is especially fun to watch one learn how to walk. She teeters and sometimes falls,striving to get to the person whose hands are reaching out. Everyone helps, cheering her on, holding hands to help with balance, and picking her up when she tumbles.
( Notice I used the designator "she" because that's what we're expecting). It's hard to imagine that anyone, even the most jealous sibling, would intentionally trip a young, innocent child.
As you've probably guessed, this time we're talking about stumbling. And, as usual God has been teaching me about it through experience. I don't know if what I've learned will help you, but it has certainly made my understanding more clear.
I wonder if you struggle as much as I do sometimes about the whole " rules and grace" thing. Occasionally my mind gets in a big conflict about salvation by grace. It just sounds too easy, and I get caught up in the " but I don't deserve it AT ALL" mode. And I don't. And yet I know Grace personally, so it's truth is planted firmly in me. And that gets me back to "rules", and how this all applies to me.
Since I know that my behavior is not what wins favor with God, and it certainly doesn't insure my eternal home with Jesus, then what should my behavior look like? I'm sorry girls, but this is just TRICKY!!! If there is someone out there that doesn't struggle with this, please let me know!!! I mean when you think about it, you can go from one extreme to another. If every word in both Old and New Testaments are to be obeyed, then some of us have some issues with adorned hair and jewelry. And if behavior is not the issue, then anything goes!! I can have an affair next month and "borrow" money from my employers with no worries the next! Seriously, we could get into a major discussion over these things. I certainly have my beliefs on why the Law was established, and why we needed a Savior.......but that's not the point I want to ponder this time.
In order to avoid "hot button" issues, let's make up an activity to use as an example. Suppose a group of older church women ( like me for example) decide to start an organization to benefit the poor. They are going to use their money to pay for beginning of the school year expenses for families who can not do so. A very needed charity. To earn the money, the ladies are going to become midnight bank robbers. Bankers are rich, can afford losing a little bit, and anyone would agree these kids need their school supplies. All is progressing nicely. The children are being helped by the 10s and 100s, and the ladies have been so adept at bank robbing they have not been caught or even suspected. The families, particularly the Brown family, are very grateful. As a matter of fact, the Browns are new Christians attending the same church as these women. They are excited to see their new friends at church doing so much to help families who need it. It really makes their faith stronger,and the Browns hope someday they can " pass it forward" to others . One day, on her way to the restroom at church, Mrs. Brown hears two of the ladies talking about their latest heist. She listens to all of the details of what has occurred. She is shocked and angered, and after talking with her husband, the Browns decide to stop going to church. "It's not real,". Mona Brown says to her husband. "They are all just like everyone else."
Silly example, I know, but I wonder if it helps us to make a correlation. Some of our behaviors, while permissible may not be desirable if they:
- control us
- cause another to stumble
Although bank robbery is not really a permissible behavior, we could substitute any of a number of other behaviors for what they did and it becomes a little more real for us........sugar,sex, drinking, shopping, what we read, what we watch on television or the movies, innocent white lies....the list goes on an on. Since our behavior is not what determines our eternity, then behavior shouldn't really be an issue at all. We can do some of these things and it's just fine. Right??
While we all sin on a daily basis, I believe God has been teaching me about the two scriptures in 1 Corinthians in all of this. Our behaviors matter. Even when permissible, if they master us or cause someone else to stumble, then they are not what God desires from us. It's really no longer acceptable and it certainly won't get us His best.
The parents of our new baby girl have expectations for her siblings. They will expect the others to help her, to give her strong examples, and to treat her with kindness and love. Much of what she learns about life will be learned through the examples of others. The same is true of new Christians, non-Christians, and even struggling Christians. Much of what they learn about Christ and His power will be learned by examples we set for them. I certainly don't want to be responsible for tripping a fellow Christian! What if my irresponsible behavior robs a new believer from the joy found in submission to Christ? I want to be a good sister, and take that baby believer by the hand......showing her how to love, serve, AND behave. And that just might trip up the dude on the other side, who would love to see us all on the pavement with scratched and bleeding knees. How about trippin' him for a change????? Now that sounds like a behavior we can all agree on!
- 1 Corinthians 6:12
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble whether Jews Greeks or the church of God----- even as I try to please everybody in every way for I am not thinking my own good but the good of many so that they may be saved."
- 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
We are getting a new baby next month. I can hardly wait. I love everything about watching them grow. From the first smile to the teen attitude, every stage is wonderful to watch. The youngest years are the most fun I think. Watching a child learn to walk, talk, and develop her individual personality is great. And everyone loves the baby. Even the siblings don't tease or mistreat her. It is especially fun to watch one learn how to walk. She teeters and sometimes falls,striving to get to the person whose hands are reaching out. Everyone helps, cheering her on, holding hands to help with balance, and picking her up when she tumbles.
( Notice I used the designator "she" because that's what we're expecting). It's hard to imagine that anyone, even the most jealous sibling, would intentionally trip a young, innocent child.
As you've probably guessed, this time we're talking about stumbling. And, as usual God has been teaching me about it through experience. I don't know if what I've learned will help you, but it has certainly made my understanding more clear.
I wonder if you struggle as much as I do sometimes about the whole " rules and grace" thing. Occasionally my mind gets in a big conflict about salvation by grace. It just sounds too easy, and I get caught up in the " but I don't deserve it AT ALL" mode. And I don't. And yet I know Grace personally, so it's truth is planted firmly in me. And that gets me back to "rules", and how this all applies to me.
Since I know that my behavior is not what wins favor with God, and it certainly doesn't insure my eternal home with Jesus, then what should my behavior look like? I'm sorry girls, but this is just TRICKY!!! If there is someone out there that doesn't struggle with this, please let me know!!! I mean when you think about it, you can go from one extreme to another. If every word in both Old and New Testaments are to be obeyed, then some of us have some issues with adorned hair and jewelry. And if behavior is not the issue, then anything goes!! I can have an affair next month and "borrow" money from my employers with no worries the next! Seriously, we could get into a major discussion over these things. I certainly have my beliefs on why the Law was established, and why we needed a Savior.......but that's not the point I want to ponder this time.
In order to avoid "hot button" issues, let's make up an activity to use as an example. Suppose a group of older church women ( like me for example) decide to start an organization to benefit the poor. They are going to use their money to pay for beginning of the school year expenses for families who can not do so. A very needed charity. To earn the money, the ladies are going to become midnight bank robbers. Bankers are rich, can afford losing a little bit, and anyone would agree these kids need their school supplies. All is progressing nicely. The children are being helped by the 10s and 100s, and the ladies have been so adept at bank robbing they have not been caught or even suspected. The families, particularly the Brown family, are very grateful. As a matter of fact, the Browns are new Christians attending the same church as these women. They are excited to see their new friends at church doing so much to help families who need it. It really makes their faith stronger,and the Browns hope someday they can " pass it forward" to others . One day, on her way to the restroom at church, Mrs. Brown hears two of the ladies talking about their latest heist. She listens to all of the details of what has occurred. She is shocked and angered, and after talking with her husband, the Browns decide to stop going to church. "It's not real,". Mona Brown says to her husband. "They are all just like everyone else."
Silly example, I know, but I wonder if it helps us to make a correlation. Some of our behaviors, while permissible may not be desirable if they:
- control us
- cause another to stumble
Although bank robbery is not really a permissible behavior, we could substitute any of a number of other behaviors for what they did and it becomes a little more real for us........sugar,sex, drinking, shopping, what we read, what we watch on television or the movies, innocent white lies....the list goes on an on. Since our behavior is not what determines our eternity, then behavior shouldn't really be an issue at all. We can do some of these things and it's just fine. Right??
While we all sin on a daily basis, I believe God has been teaching me about the two scriptures in 1 Corinthians in all of this. Our behaviors matter. Even when permissible, if they master us or cause someone else to stumble, then they are not what God desires from us. It's really no longer acceptable and it certainly won't get us His best.
The parents of our new baby girl have expectations for her siblings. They will expect the others to help her, to give her strong examples, and to treat her with kindness and love. Much of what she learns about life will be learned through the examples of others. The same is true of new Christians, non-Christians, and even struggling Christians. Much of what they learn about Christ and His power will be learned by examples we set for them. I certainly don't want to be responsible for tripping a fellow Christian! What if my irresponsible behavior robs a new believer from the joy found in submission to Christ? I want to be a good sister, and take that baby believer by the hand......showing her how to love, serve, AND behave. And that just might trip up the dude on the other side, who would love to see us all on the pavement with scratched and bleeding knees. How about trippin' him for a change????? Now that sounds like a behavior we can all agree on!
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