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.
Reflection
Our scripture today is often taught in terms of what is allowable. In fact, Paul says if someone invites you to their home and offers you food, eat it out of community and respect. Of course he was speaking to the Jews, and he was encouraging them to essentially break the law if they could win others to Christ, but also he stated if eating with Jews, don’t be so quick to flippantly break the law or you can lose the Jews’ respect. It can get complicated, but we shouldn’t be so rigid. I am going to take the devotion in a bit of a different direction today.
How many times when we are searching for volunteers at church or in other organizations do we say so and so is a teacher, so they “should” help with VBS because they have those skills? Or the accountant “should” be on the finance committee or help with tax preparation for seniors? We tend to pigeonhole people because of their skills. Now it can make sense and sometimes people are more than willing, but what if the teacher has decided they want to do taxes or a construction worker wants to ring bells instead of serving with the trustees? Are we as a group supportive of what we perceive as a “no”? Maybe we do have skills in a certain area but we want to pursue something totally different. Sometimes we individually and corporately can make ourselves and others feel guilty for making decisions that don’t follow expectations. I’m not sure that’s how God intended it to be!
by Janet Waryck
For Pondering and Prayer
There are many ways people in community – among family, friends, and other groups we are in – can go against “what we think is appropriate.“ Can we have compassion, empathy, and even joy for someone who is trying a new direction even if we can’t understand it (as long as it’s not harmful, of course)? It seems simple – people change and evolve constantly. We may not be able to relate, but how can we support those who tell us “no” to something we think they would be perfectly suited to do?
Prayer: God, you are the One who created us with different skills and dreams and goals. Help us to help others pursue new skills and knowledge, even when we feel we need them to use their current skills to help us with our goals. Give us strength, understanding, and empathy. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
