Text: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33
Maybe this goes without saying – and maybe it’s been said in a few ways in this study already – but fasting is for one thing: God’s glory.
It is for our drawing near to Him, yes.
It is for mourning our sin, yes.
It is for interceding and returning and repenting, all those things.
But all those things are for His glory.
We can fast from food while feasting on our own pride.
We can withhold indulgences while noting them as accomplishments.
It may not be easy to fast, but it is quite easy to make our fasting about us.
We don’t set out for it to be this way, but we are sinners and so it is. Even our most selfless deeds – our efforts to deny ourselves and take up our cross – require His grace.
In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul spends several verses explaining to the Church that what they eat is not as important as why they eat it. The qualifications of the menu are not as important as the company sitting around the table. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,” Paul says, “do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Keep in mind the bigger picture, he says (my paraphrase). There is more at work here than a set of rules. The Lord is building a Kingdom!
Today, Sisters, whatever we eat or drink, whatever we don’t eat or don’t drink – whatever we do – let’s do it all for the glory of our God. Because our fasting and feasting, our prayer and confession, our meditation and our study – it is about so much more than us. It is about His kingdom. It is about Him.
Is it me? I couldn't find Day 10 with Friday's posts anywhere
Me neither, it was there yesterday cuz I read some of them. Went back to finish this morning and they are gone.
Here's the link! https://shereadstruth.com/2014/03/14/shesharestrut…
Scroll up here directly under the end of this, and right before the comments, and there is a link that says SheSharesTruth that will take you back to yesterdays post. The blog entries are there too. The previous is always there…unless there was something wrong earlier ;)
Here's the link! https://shereadstruth.com/2014/03/14/shesharestrut…
Perfect devotional.
I put on Israel Houghton’s – Jesus at the centre just as I was coming onto SRT for today’s devotional. Nothing we do is about us, it has to be about Him LOVE IT !!!
This right here is why I didn't write a blog post for #SheSharesTruth yesterday.
I wrote last week, but not for the glory of God; I wrote to see the comments and the praise – not exactly ministering in humility. That was eye-opening for me. So this week I read the posts of others and prayed for them, and today's reading is such a confirmation of my choice to do so, particularly v33: "I don't just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them so that they might be saved." [NLT]
Beautiful!!!! And so right……
Beautiful!!!!! So true…….
"If you eat or drink, or if you do anything, do it all for the glory of God. Never do anything that might hurt others." -1 Corinthians 10:31-32 I know I have read these words many times before, but today and the week I have had at work and fasting for God to get to be more intimate with Him – this verse means soooooo much to me and I just want to apologize to The Lord right now for my behavior this week…… I am sooo sorry for wanting to do things for me when it should be all about You and Your glory!!!!!!! Thank – you ladies for refreshment, renewal, and growth in the word and stretching and opening my eyes to something new about my walk with The Lord…….. Have a great 'happy saturday'
A couple of years ago our wonderful minister, Dr. Kenneth Dunivant , preached on this subject. He and he left a fresh impression on me regarding fasting and Lent. Denial comes in many forms. If you don't give up something, take on something. So I have tried that. It has been a blessing. This year it is giving up an hour – all at one time to read scripture, devotions, prayer and listening. So don't always think of Lent as a self persecuting thing, think learning. Giving up time is harder than I thought, but I have learned so much.
"It may not be easy to fast, but it is quite easy to make our fasting about us." WOW. Powerful words to take in this morning. So true. Thank you for reminding me this!
Amen. This is where I want to get in fasting. Most times I feel its about me and all I want is to glorify God.
For me, these verses really focus on not causing a brother or sister to stumble by living in the freedom that Christ offers in an entitled way. That sometimes, even though I am allowed to eat or drink without condemnation, I should be sensitive to those around me who may lose faith because of the choices I make in front of them. But that nugget of truth is certainly there: that I am to do everything "to the glory of God". And that includes eliminating my pride and arrogance, which I may be able to hide from everyone else, and the false humility that I might present to the world. Even if no one knows about it but God, even if it never causes a soul to stumble, it's still not for his glory, which makes it WRONG.
Needed these words: We can fast from food while feasting on our own pride. We can withhold indulgences while noting them as accomplishments.
Lord, please rid me of myself and my selfish motives and free me of my continued struggle of starting with good motives and souring them with my pride about them.
I so agree with you I need to focus more on Him in whatever I do not on what I want to do for me – even when it comes to fasting…… Even the words I say around my toddlers I teach…… Thank – you for those words…..