Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
May 3, 2024
1 Corinthians 10:23-33
23 Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial. Everything is permitted, but everything doesn’t build others up. 24 No one should look out for their own advantage, but they should look out for each other. 25 Eat everything that is sold in the marketplace, without asking questions about it because of your conscience. 26 The earth and all that is in it belong to the Lord. 27 If an unbeliever invites you to eat with them and you want to go, eat whatever is served, without asking questions because of your conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This meat was sacrificed in a temple,” then don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 Now when I say “conscience” I don’t mean yours but the other person’s. Why should my freedom be judged by someone else’s conscience? 30 If I participate with gratitude, why should I be blamed for food I thank God for? 31 So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you should do it all for God’s glory. 32 Don’t offend either Jews or Greeks, or God’s church. 33 This is the same thing that I do. I please everyone in everything I do. I don’t look out for my own advantage, but I look out for many people so that they can be saved.
Good Morning! Do everything you do to the glory of God!
To God be the Glory, great things he has done!
We are called to be the face of Christ for the world. This is no easy task for us. We are quick to say the right words like, all are welcome, and we love everyone. However, it is much more difficult to show these things in our actions.
Can we offer a genuine hug to a stranger who is dirty and smelly without cringing? Do we look into the eyes of someone who is different from us and see Christ within them? Christ never promised that walking with him would be easy, but he did promise to lead us when we are weak and weary.
Only through the grace of God can we even come close to serving and loving one another without reservation. We first learn to love within our family. Gradually this extends to friends and those who are “like” us. The hard part is making that leap to loving those who appear different. Whether being different is their looks, smells, beliefs, traditions, or general disposition, we are called to love everyone.
Jesus said, “I don’t look out for my own advantage, but I look out for many people so that they can be saved.” Imagine if you can, a world where everyone looked out for everyone else before themself. No more violence, no more injustice, and no more infliction of pain! “And I think to myself, What a wonderful world!”
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. Help us see the beauty and worthiness of each of your children! We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: We are better able to imitate Christ when we spend time with him each day.
Look into the eyes of others and seek Christ! Pastor Liz
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