Saturday Reading: Romans 14:19-23
Key Verse: Romans 14:20
20 Do not undo the work of God for food. Truly, all things indeed are clean, but it is bad to the man eating because of a stumbling-block.
Devotion:
Isn’t it amazing how quickly we will give in to things when we are hungry or thirsty? But it is not just those physical extreme which encourage us to give in but all the social extremes in our lives too. When we see someone enjoying themselves without us we tend to overlook the bad things that may be happening and join in so that we can enjoy ourselves too. When we see something that looks like fun we will not give too much consideration to those around that may be offended by what we are about to do because of the enjoyment we will gain. Our eyes become as those of a blinkered horse who does not see the obstructions to the side or the fact that they are obstructing things on either side...
Being aware of the people that are around you should be a quality that you should be proud of and not an annoyance that you want to ignore. Being aware of our surroundings and catering for those feelings of those around us will work towards peace and love of our neighbours. We should not ignore the small things that may well cause arguments and break down the bridges that we are trying to build with those around us. We need those bridges so that we can continue to show them just how much God means to us and how much He cares for us.
We cannot encourage each other by arguing with one another; it is much better to deny yourself something than to know that it is about to offend someone. If we are giving in to fleshly lusts in this manner, be it food and drink or any other minor want, we are saying to God that that is more important than His will in our lives. Nothing is more likely to destroy a soul than to cause offence through giving in to your own personal lusts; that will be seen as a wilful offence by others. If we are in doubt over whether something will cause offense, then we should not go there until we know that it will not cause offense. We need to make sure that our service to Christ comes first in our lives...
Points to Ponder:
How aware are you of others feelings?
How high a regard does God’s will get in your life?
