Day 21 - The Nut in the Shell
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33
Focal Verses: “Everything is permissible,”but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up. No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person. ~ 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (CSB)
If you want to know the ‘heart’ of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, today’s passage (more specifically, our two focal verses) is it. There is no greater summary of what Paul is trying to get across to this diverse, but troubled church than here. Read the entire passage. Absorb it. Reflect on what Paul is saying here.
In fact, it’s so important that I’m not going to use any clever little forensic metaphors here. I don’t want to distract from this most important of messages.
See, the problem Paul is addressing here isn’t just something the Corinthians dealt with. All Christians for the past two thousand years have. But I don’t believe the issue has been more apparent throughout history than the state of the modern American Christian today. In fact, if I was pressed to pinpoint the number one issue within the American church that eats away at our brothers and sisters in Christ—and turns the lost away from joining our ranks—it is this: entitlement.
Somewhere at some time Christians have forgotten that “no one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.”
We want our church services to be comfortable and entertaining. We want church services to start at a particular time so we can get home in time to watch the big game. “Hey, someone ate all the coffee and donuts this morning and I didn’t get any. I’ll not be coming back here any time soon!”
Christian women stick out their chin in defiance when it’s suggested to them dress more modestly. “If what I wear causes men to lust, that’s on them, not me!” Men grumble and complain about anything and everything under the sun without consideration of how their negativity might effect those around them. And don’t get me started about the modern proclivity of dressing down for church services. We’d far rather be comfortable than sacrifice comfort as an act of worship for God. After all, “God doesn’t care what we wear.” I had a conversation with someone recently about this very thing and was told by the other person, “I’m going to wear what I’m going to wear, so people just need to get over it.”
Look, it’s not about what we wear. It’s not about grumbling and complaining (although as children of God, what do we have to complain about?). It’s not about comfortable pews or the style of music. It’s not about whether it’s okay to drink alcohol or smoke or anything in between.
It’s all about the matter of our hearts. Our attitudes. See, anything we clutch to our chests and refuse to give up…that thing is an idol in our lives. That is what we worship. That is what we are placing on the throne of God.
As Christians, some of us are more spiritually mature than others. The spiritually mature Christians are mandated to disciple those of less spiritual maturity (it’s part of the Great Commission, after all). How can we disciple those that we are actively tripping up with our attitudes and actions?
Our senses of entitlement.
We have no entitlements as children of the Most High. We have privilege, yes. We are heirs to the Kingdom, yes. But there is no place within the Christian life to act like spoiled princes and princesses.
Remember 1 Corinthians 6: 9b-10a when Paul said, “You are not your own, for you were bought at a price.”
We need to etch that verse into our memory. We need to live by those words. Our lives, while important to God, shouldn’t take precedent over the lives of others. As John the Baptist said of Jesus, “I must decrease and He must increase.” (Paraphrased.)
Let’s remember to decrease every day. Let’s continue to decrease on a daily basis until there is nothing left of us other than Christ.
Father God, help us to remember to decrease. Help us to stow away our sense of entitlement and put others and their needs above our own. Help us Lord to strive to live our lives in such a way that our desires and needs take a back seat to those around us and especially to you.