Monday Moments
Love And Idols
Motivation is a funny word. We often use it when we talk about something that compels us to action. It's usually in reference to a very inconsistent, circumstantial emotion, however. It's rarely a constant, predictable force in our lives. Yet love for others is what ought to be at the heart of our lifestyle as Christians. Brotherly love should dictate everything we say and do, or that we don't say or do.
In the eighth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses some specific behaviors regarding food and idols. It's easy for our modern sensibilities to disassociate ourselves from this story, yet what was happening under the surface is just as relevant for us now as it was in Paul's time. Believers back then wanted to "know" just how close they could come to the line before crossing over into sin. Paul addresses the specifics, but he does so in a way that shows the bigger issue at play. What we should be asking is how the exercise of our freedoms affect others.
Motivation is a funny word. We often use it when we talk about something that compels us to action. It's usually in reference to a very inconsistent, circumstantial emotion, however. It's rarely a constant, predictable force in our lives. Yet love for others is what ought to be at the heart of our lifestyle as Christians. Brotherly love should dictate everything we say and do, or that we don't say or do.
In the eighth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses some specific behaviors regarding food and idols. It's easy for our modern sensibilities to disassociate ourselves from this story, yet what was happening under the surface is just as relevant for us now as it was in Paul's time. Believers back then wanted to "know" just how close they could come to the line before crossing over into sin. Paul addresses the specifics, but he does so in a way that shows the bigger issue at play. What we should be asking is how the exercise of our freedoms affect others.