Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
As you listen to the public conversation in your city, I wonder how often you hear people demanding or declaring their rights? The right to be heard, the right to express themselves, the right to believe anything, the right to declare as true anything they chose, the right to define their own gender and identity, the right to use any bathroom, the right to live as a ‘homeless’ person, not due to financial limitations but simply the desire to live without any restrictions. Etc.
As you reflect on what that attitude is doing to societies around the world, what conclusions do you draw? Once again, our friend Paul, writing 2000 years ago, is amazingly profound and accurate in speaking to social issues that need a word from God! In his 10th chapter Paul writes this to the Corinthian Christians: “Everything is permissible for me – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me – but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.“ (1 Cor. 10:23,24) Now does that sound familiar? YES! Paul wrote almost exactly the same idea in 1 Cor. 6:12 only there he wrote “Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” What difference do you see between these two statements?
Of course, in 1 Cor. 6:12 Paul declares that he will not allow the exercise of his freedom to enslave him in bondage to anything or anyone. In 1 Cor. 10:23 Paul declares that he seeks to use his freedom to make a positive difference in this world, to be constructive and helpful to others, a problem solver not one who ignores or aggravates the problems of our world. Those are two very powerful declarations and ambitions, but then Paul’s challenge to everyone: “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” Now, look around your world my friends, read the news headlines, listen to talk radio or TV, sit at the local coffee shop and just listen to the public conversation. How much of what you hear is selfish, self-serving, self-focused and how much is service to others, seeking to improve our world?
Now look around the city or town where you live. Who is known to have the reputation of always putting others ahead of themselves, of finding great joy in serving others? What church or business or organization, either public or private, do you know who actually puts effort into looking for ways to help improve the quality of life in your city and offers creative solutions to long standing problems, without demanding any financial remuneration? That is what Paul is talking about here.
Corinth, then as most cities today, was a decaying city. In some parts of the city old buildings were crumbling and people were moving out. It was not difficult to hear stories of destitute people barely hanging on in survival mode, while at the same time wealth was abundant in that great port city! Frequently, if you listened closely to conversations in Corinth, words such as “corruption”, “greed”, “dishonesty”, “extortion”, “lawlessness”, “evil”, “out of control”, “despair” and other such phrases could often be heard. That is precisely why Paul was challenging the relatively small number of Christians in Corinth to stand up and make a difference! What difference? Perhaps it’s all wrapped up in the one word “constructive” that Paul used.
What are the characteristics, the attributes of a “Constructive” person in your world? What about “constructive comments” or “constructive observations” or “constructive attitudes” or even “constructive criticism”? Do you consider yourself to be a ‘constructive’ person, a problem solver, a peace maker, a hope breeder in your town, in your social network? Do other people see you as a ‘constructive’ person? If so, what is it they see that would move them to use those very positive words in describing you my friends? Now this question: What positive difference could you and I make if we lived “constructive” rather than selfish or critical? Here’s an even bigger question: Has God given us some guidelines which will help us develop a constructive attitude, constructive lifestyle, constructive world view?
May I give you a few I have found?
1. Ex. 23:2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” No explanation is needed with this, right?
2. Ephes. 5:21 “Serve one another out of reverence for Jesus Christ.”
3. Romans 14:13 “Stop passing judgment on each other. Instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”
4. Ephes. 4:29 “Don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only what is helpful for building other people up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
5. Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
6. Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – God’s good and pleasing and perfect will.”
7. Matt. 7:2,3 “In the same way you judge others, you will be judged…why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and disregard the log in your own eye?
Now that’s just a beginning isn’t it, and so may I invite you my friends to add to this list those powerful statements of God which you have discovered in God’s Word, which will help us faithfully live the very important words of Paul we’ve considered today: “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial… not everything is constructive.” (1 Cor. 10:23,24) Now what could change in your life and mine if we became very constructive, helpful people? What might God be planning, even now, that He’d like to do through you if you were a constructive tool in His hand? And here’s a song to help us consider that, my friends:
Today’s Scripture is 1 Cor. 10:23, 24.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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