Tuesday, November 27, 2007

When We Cloud The Picture

Technology gives me the blues. We began noticing lines in our tv picture on Thanksgiving, but didn't think anything about it. Friday we couldn't even watch tv without seeing double, not to mention, the internet was down. Comcast couldn't send a technician until yesterday. This meant I couldn't check in to work and get emails, but less communicate with the internet world nor watch what little tv we normally watch. How frustrating! I felt so behind.

As Christians, we can sometimes confuse non-believers and believers alike with our actions and words. There is nothing more disheartening than to see a Christian give missed messages. It clouds the picture for others.

As Christians, we are also set free from the law of the Old Testament. 1 Corinthians 8:9 says, "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." Paul is telling the Corinthian church how important it is for them to watch what they do. It was a sin to eat food in the temple of idols and to eat the food that had been sacrificed to idols. Paul was telling the Corinthians that so many others were watching what they were doing and would be influenced to do the same. The Corinthians were confusing the non-believers and were causing them to sin as well.

God knows we aren't perfect, although we should strive to be like His son Jesus. Let us pray today that what we say or do may not cause someone with a "weaker conscience" to sin against God; pray that what you say or do will turn someone on to Christ and not off to Christ.

No comments: