All!

All!

1 Corinthians 10:31 AMP

[31] So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of [our great] God.

Again, Paul is the focus of today's extract, as he writes to the church in Corinth. He was writing to believers who had come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, and were trying to navigate the demands of this new faith. Paul made reference to Israel and its past dealings with God, the many times they rebelled against God, and how He punished them for their rebellion. Dispensations and generations have come and gone, but the standards of God have not been changed or lowered. What God calls sin under Ezekiel and Daniel is still sin under Peter and Paul. God has always made it clear that He would punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. The expectation of God from all who follow Him is that we would take advantage of the grace and help that are available for all men. God does not leave me to my devices; He wants me to succeed, and He will move heaven and earth before He breaks His promises. 

That is what the same chapter from where the verse above is taken makes clear: there is nothing that comes to me that is strange. The promise of God is that I will not be stretched beyond my capacity to bear, but He will also provide a way of escape for me, even in the tough times. He is the One who was tempted in every way, yet did not sin; therefore, His life has become an example and the template for me to also conquer sin. What do I need to do? How am I to respond to God's grace? First, there is the power of actions. As God has played His part, I am not permitted to sit on the fence of indecision. In fact, there is no fence. I am not permitted to just do nothing. The verse above charges me to make sure that whatever I do is done as a measure of appreciation of what God has first done for me. That is also the power and impact of choices. I get to choose how to respond to what I have received from God. 

The power of personal experience is also as basic as what I eat and drink. You may wonder how a simple decision on what to eat or drink could become a decision with eternal ramifications, but that is what it means for a child of God. There are no simple decisions; there are no selfish actions. Paul used his life as this personal example of sacrifice. There were things he denied himself of, not because they were wrong in themselves, but for the sake of other people. He could speak of his own life, because his talk matched his walk. It has to be the same for me too. Seeking the glory of God in all areas of my life must be a daily pursuit for me. Lives are depending on my walk with God. Lives are seeking for the right examples to emulate. My public life must match my private life. Do my present actions point me to the glory of God? Are men encouraged to submit to God based on my current priorities? May God help us. God's time of favour is here.