Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 8:1-8 before reading the devotional below.
Chapter 8 may seem like it’s all about food sacrificed to idols, but it’s actually about something much bigger. Paul was addressing a debate about whether or not food was okay to eat if it was previously sacrificed to an idol, something that would have been common in Corinth with the cultural belief in the Greek gods. The Old Testament law had forbidden eating food sacrificed to idols, but Christians understood that idols are false and ultimately powerless. Food is food, and a false ritual doesn’t change that.
However, if you are a follower of Jesus and have spiritual knowledge and insight, none of it matters if you are an obnoxious jerk. Sadly, that is how many “Christians” act today. They may be right, but their attitudes are all wrong. Before you take up an issue and make it the cause worth fighting for, ask yourself who you might hurt in the process.
Here’s your freedom for today:
Loving brings more freedom than being right.
When was the last time you debated someone about their beliefs? When was the last time you judged someone for their spiritual ignorance? Jesus set us free from a system of rules and laws — we do not have to do any rituals to make us right with God. But when we argue that point with others who may still hold on to some rituals, we lose the very freedom Jesus came to give us. Keep the main thing the main thing when you approach how others handle their beliefs. There is room for a lot of gray on minor issues, and maybe we don’t all have to be exactly the same.