PURPOSE: Daily Reading Plan #6
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 2:15
For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
2 John 1:6
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Believers should be motivated to bring glory to God in everything we do, or choose not to do. This includes our choices to eat or drink, or to refuse. Paul adds this to a list of motivating factors for the use of our freedom in Christ. Will this activity be helpful to me or will it cause me to be "mastered" (1 Corinthians 6:12)? Will doing this build up others and be good for my neighbor as well as for myself (1 Corinthians 10:23–24)? And now, will this choice to eat or drink or do anything else bring glory to God?
In all cases, the question of whether this activity will bring me pleasure, material gain, or status should not be the deciding factor alone even for those who are free in Christ. Just as anything done without conviction is sin (Romans 14:23), Christians should not participate in anything they don't feel brings glory to God.
Reflection Questions
- What do these verses say about God's purposes for us?
- How do these overall purposes play into the specifics of our lives such as the way we live, where we work, our spheres of influence, etc?
- How does taking these verses to heart call me to live as a result?
