1 Corinthians 10:31 - What You Were Meant to Do.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV) Therefore,
whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all
to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (CEV) When you eat or
drink or do anything else, always do it to honor
God.
COMMENTARY PEARLS
Museum Of The Bible
I never wanted to be a preacher. I wanted
to be a cartoonist like Charles M. Schulz. But
you see, that was not what God had in store for
me.
Some years ago I mentioned to someone
that I was a cartoonist, and they said, Well
good, because my car is broken. Can you fix
it?
So I explained that I cant tune a car.
In fact, Im the last guy youd want
looking under your hood, because the result would be
a sad one.
Awhile back I received a letter from
someone who listens to A New Beginning. He thanked
me for my messages and then said, One day,
hearing your program, I prayed the prayer with you
and accepted Christ into my life. I remember the
feeling. It was awesome. Ill never forget you
said, Tell someone, and I did. I would tell
anyone that would listen. I even told some people
that wouldnt listen. I remember the feeling
and the realization that I was finally doing
what I was meant to be doing.
He went on to say that he started
volunteering more and more. Eventually he went back to
school and became a pastor. Then he used his skill
set to start an auto repair ministry through his
church in Olympia, Washington, which is reaching
people in unique ways.
Then there is Steve Green, president of
Hobby Lobby and chairman of the board at the
Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. When you
visit our nations capital, we now have a Museum
of the Bible among all the monuments. He has
taken his abilities and used them for Gods
glory.
Maybe youre not called to preach, but
you can use your abilities for the glory of God.
Whatever youre called to do, do it for the glory
of God. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
YouVersion Bible App
I am thrilled beyond measure that our
church continues to give away my favorite app, the
YouVersion Bible App, free to people all over the
world. People often say, "I can't believe a church
created the app. But I'm overjoyed that our
church was able to create this. Right now we've got
about forty full-time staff members who create,
build, maintain, and expand this unbelievable,
amazing app.
Despite what others have recommended,
I've never considered charging for this app. "But
people don't value something they get for free! You
should charge at least 99 cents for it," these
people argue with me.
But because we can give the Bible away,
we will. The Bible is living and active, and we
are honored to give it to everyone who wants
one. And personally, I love to give this app
away, and you know why? Because years ago, someone
from the Gideon organization smiled more broadly
than you can imagine and handed me a free Bible.
And my life was transformed by the living Word
of God, so now I am overjoyed to return the
favor and provide digital Bibles.
We recently celebrated giving away over
two hundred and seventy-five million free
downloads. People all over the world can have God's
Word wherever they go, on their phones or
tablets, and read it at their convenience. My goal is
to lead the way with irrational generosity. We
truly believe it's more blessed to give than to
receive.
God, thank you for the gift of your Word
and the many ways you reveal yourself through
its pages. [Daily Power by Craig Groeschel re
Luke 6:30]
COMMENTARY
Two Questions to Ask of Your Goals
Its important to set goals. But not
every goal that you can set is a good goal that
Gods going to bless.
So how do you know the kind of goal that
God will bless? Ask yourself these questions:
1. Will my goal honor God?
What kind of goal brings glory to God?
Any goal that causes you to trust him more, to
depend on him more, to love him more, to love other
people more, to serve him, to serve others, to be
more unselfish.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31,
When you eat or drink or do anything else, always
do it to honor God (CEV). You can honor God
by taking out the trash. You can honor God by
washing the dishes. You can honor God by doing that
mundane task at work. How? By doing it with the
right motive: gratitude. If you want your life to
bring honor to God, set goals that help you be the
best you can be for Gods glory.
2. Is my goal motivated by love?
God is not going to bless a goal
motivated by greed, envy, guilt, fear, or pride. But
he does honor a goal that is motivated by a
desire to demonstrate love to him and to others,
because life is all about learning how to love.
Why is it important to have goals based
on love? Because if you set loveless goals,
youre going to treat people as projects. Youre
going to run all over them to reach your goal.
Youre going to run over your spouse, your family
members, our friends, and other people as you climb
up the ladder of success. God says, No.
Youve got it all wrong. Its not about
accomplishments. Its about relationships. Its about
learning how to love.
Do everything in love (1
Corinthians 16:14 NIV). Your number one goal in life
should be to learn how to really love your family,
your neighbors, and even those who are hard to
love. That makes you more like God, because God is
love. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
One Thing at a Time
One early spring day I went to visit
Corrie ten Boom, the survivor of the Nazi holocaust
who shared her story in The Hiding Place - in
her latter years, she lived in southern
California. My friends and I were able to help Pam, her
companion, learn basic things about Corrie's disability
and her wheelchair. After our short training
session, we sat in Corrie's backyard, admiring her
early spring flowers, and enjoying the warm sun on
our backs.
The day was filled with activity, yet
relaxed and slow-paced. After we enjoyed the
flowers, we went into the kitchen for tea and
chocolates. After tea, we read the Bible and prayed.
Then we retired to the parlor and talked. I was
amazed how quickly the day flew by, yet how
peaceful and stress-free it seemed. Pam explained,
"Tante Corrie and I never do lots of things at
once. We don't sit outside, read and enjoy tea and
chocolates. We Space Everything Out So We Can Truly
Appreciate The Individual Pleasures Of Each Activity."
That day I witnessed the glory of God in watching
spring flowers bob in the breeze... in savoring the
taste of dark chocolate... in smelling the
fragrance of Earl Grey tea... in listening to an
elderly saint pray... and of discovering new
insights in God's Word. All because I lived the day
at Corrie's pace.
Someone has pushed the fast-forward
button on our days. As the microwave heats our
morning Danish, we pay bills on-line, listen for the
chime on the dryer, all the while eavesdropping on
Dr. Dobson on Christian radio. Little wonder we
feel stressed out. Galatians 5:25 says, "... let
us keep in step with the Spirit." Often the
Spirit takes very slow steps. Push the pause button
and find a way you can slow down today. Enjoy
God's glory in every small thing.
Spirit of Christ, help me to keep in step
with you today and not run ahead. [Joni Eareckson
Tada Daily Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
CLOSING THOUGHT
The Junk Food of Life
Have you ever filled up on appetizers?
Maybe youve had a meal waiting for you, but
then you started snacking. Suddenly you realize
youve lost your appetite. I do this all the time.
My wife will be cooking, and Ill start
swiping a few bites of food. Before I know it, Im
eating my way around the kitchen. When she finally
serves her wonderful, home-cooked meal, Im not
hungry anymore because Ive filled up on other
things while I was snacking.
We can snack on the junk food of life, as
it were, and dull our spiritual appetites. They
may not be bad things necessarily, but they can
diminish our hunger for the Word of God.
It is not a sin to watch television, but
it is a sin to watch some things on television.
I will admit to you that after I have watched
television for a while, I feel sort of brain-dead. Do I
then have a desire to go read the Bible? No. I
have diminished my spiritual appetite.
There are things we can do that keep the
edge off our hunger for the things of God. For
example, when I listen to praise music, it builds me
up spiritually. It encourages me and even
stimulates my appetite for spiritual things.
The Bible says, All things are lawful
for me, but not all things are helpful; all
things are lawful for me, but not all things
edify (1 Corinthians 10:23). Or, as the J. B.
Phillips New Testament says, As I have said
before, the Christian position is this: I may do
anything, but everything is not useful. Yes, I may do
anything but everything is not constructive.
We want to look for the things that will
increase our spiritual appetites, not for the things
that will diminish them. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com re
1 Corinthians 10:23]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180318-1024.html
EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON 28 REVELATIONS OF
JESUS
1st of 28: Divine Dining:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7j1QIKqmY
2nd of 28: Pictures of the Divine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lNI-OQ7-eQ
3rd of 28: A Dirty Bible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMkPvBuuFd4
4th of 28: Cared For:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXyJVdcCds
5th of 28: Saved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX45kGRe1HI
6th of 28: You Can Change:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd0gkvK18fo
7th of 28: Reprogramming Our Brains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov36f_RapXc
8th of 28 Our Holy Father:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XabXLEXsxbY
9th of 28 Gifts of Service:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtuGZviodkA
10th of 28 The Holy Spirit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in89XVs4cGo
11th of 28 The Law of God:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Q601HjogI
12th of 28 The Sabbath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sakgnKoTzZI
13th of 28 The Church:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkFw2XsTW-w
14th of 28 The Gift of Prophecy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiO2VC09NPI
15th of 28 Stewardship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_lNLAataw
16th of 28 Marriage and the Family:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EybxvMQ0K7E
Live ongoing series in progress.
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
