S: 1Corinthians 8:13NLT- So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.
O: In this first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul is addressing different questions pertaining to issues within the church. One of the questions he addresses is, "Should food that is offered to idols be eaten?" Since Paul believes that no other Gods really exists, food sacrificed to a nonexistent God is not a problem. What Paul does think is an issue is how other believers will respond to someone who would eat that type of food, based on their own personal convictions. Paul would rather not eat meat at all if its going to cause his brother to stumble.
A: We've probably all quoted John 8:36, "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." Though Christ has freed us from our sin and given us access to an abundant life, we should never take the grace of God for granted, especially in the context of other believers. As leaders we are called to a higher moral standard. I love Paul's attitude as he tackles relevant issues of his day. This was not an effort of Paul to convince others to be vegan. When food sacrificed to idols comes into question, he doesn't shy away from the issue, because he believes to the pure all things are pure, but at the same time, He won't allow the freedom he has experienced in Christ to put his brother in a place of bondage. In leadership it's less about what people hear you say, and more about what people see you do. Paul would rather sacrifice certain privileges in his life to accommodate the faith of his spiritually younger brothers and sisters in Christ. The more we appear to carry ourselves in the manner that Christ did, the more likely people are to take their eyes off of us, and put their eyes on Him. The longer you look at the source of life, the better the your understanding will grow on how life should be lived. My goal as a leader is to point people towards Jesus, and my everyday actions are the arrows I use to lead them there. I understand Paul's heart in this passage, because the saddest thing in the world for me would be for my freedom to push someone away from Christ rather than draw them closer. Daily we must choose to sacrifice our comfort so that others can find comfort in an eternal relationship with Christ. I choose to be what I need to be, to get people to a savior that gets them where they need to go.
P: God thank You for my freedom. Help me to use that freedom to point people in Your direction. Amen.
