Too Right Can Make A Wrong!

Okay, so if you like emojis, I guess the title might have made you do that ‘doh’ thing, as we all know it’s ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’, right?!

Have you ever been in a situation in a shop where you found something that was on offer only to find out from the person at the till that the offer has expired?  I remember being in that position as a teenager and asking to see the manager when they wouldn’t reduce the price to the amount advertised.  I was even able to quote the legislation and did so.  Imagine how that went down. 

Sure enough, I left the shop with my bargain, but I never stopped to think about the consequences for the lady at the till, or the manager for that matter.  And what if they had turned up at church shortly after and had seen me?  What would they think, not just about me but also about the church and about God?  Worse still, what if that week’s testimony card contained a thanksgiving for bagging that bargain!

Well, in the scriptures we are reading this week Paul provides many examples where Christians are not to always exercise their rights. 

You see, whenever a right is exercised, there is always a cost attached for someone.  And if all we do is exercise our rights, then we’ll just keep going round in circles and never move forward into the things of God, never see the bigger picture.  So let’s take a step back to look at the bigger picture.

Jesus laid down His right to a place in heaven, to justice and to a peaceful life on earth to make a way for anyone who believes in Him to know their Maker, to know their purpose and to be inspired and empowered to live in a right way as they are led by Him each day.

So, what is this right way then?

Follow Christ’s and Paul’s example in using knowledge, not to exert our rights over others, but to show God’s love to them. 

Pray 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 over yourself and your household this week: “Lord Jesus, help us to live right so that whatever we do, we do it all for the glory of God, not causing anyone to stumble as we wholeheartedly try to please everyone in every way for the good of the many, so that they may know you.”