Scripture – ““I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”
1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV
Observation – We have freedom in Christ because we are no longer under the law but under grace. Our relationship with God is not based on “do this” and “don’t do that” but on the fact that we are children of God. We have freedom to enjoy the things that God has made but not everything is beneficial. Paul has the right to do anything but he states that he won’t be mastered by anything.
Application – God has given us these bodies to serve and love him and to serve and love others. When we abuse the freedom God has given us to indulge in the good things God has provided for us to enjoy we compromise the means God has given us to move through this world. If you were going on a long trip you wouldn’t want to do it in an unreliable vehicle. During the entire trip you would be distracted by the thought of when and where you would break down, who you would call to help you, how much it would cost and how your trip would be impacted by the delay. Your trip wouldn’t be enjoyable. Ultimately all these things would happen and instead of enjoying the trip and all the wonderful things God intended for you to see and do you would be worried about how to repair the vehicle and pay for it. This is life for the person that is mastered by anything but Christ. We need to be aware of our weaknesses. If we can enjoy what God has made and not be mastered by it then we can be grateful for it, but if we are prone to addiction in an area, which will lead to slavery, we should choose to abstain rather than go through life with a compromised vehicle.
Prayer – Dear God, thank you for all the wonderful things you have given us to enjoy. Give us wisdom and humility to know the difference between freedom and indulgence. Amen.
What are you doing? Do it better 