My Journey 7/7/2010

God's insight to me:

Who would of thought that as I was reading this devotional that is really about "choices", not food. Many, many years ago God opened my eyes to that word, "choice". It is what life is all about, worldly and spiritual. Ever since the Garden of Eden each breath is about what we choose. When God created man He wanted him to freely fellowship and worship his Creator. Then came the fall of man, he chose to make that decision. But God did not give up on us. God had another plan to bring us back to a fellowship with Him. Still a choice we have to make. The choice is "Jesus"! So here we are today making choices as believers and non-believers. The non-believers choose the worldly food to feed them. It is saturated with sin. There is no growth process with that nourishment. But what this devotional speaks of is how important it is for the believers to always choose the right choices, for we know what the menu is all about. Eternal life. Abundant life. A righteous life in Christ Jesus, that brings us to a fellowship with the Father.

The Eyes of the World

The eyes of the world are upon us,
as we go about our day.
The eyes of the world are upon us,
watching what we choose to do today.

What we show to everyone around us,
demonstrates what we truly believe.
The eyes of the world are watching,
and God is also watching you and me.

Be careful of the choices you make,
please think before you speak.
Remember what Jesus said,
“What you do to someone you are also doing to Me”

So as you go throughout your daily journey,
be careful what you do and say.
It can make the difference in someone’s life,
if they see Jesus in you today!

E. P. Shagott
7/7/2010

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July 7, 2010

Daily Disciples Devotional

Today’s Thoughts: The Real Food

But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 1 Corinthians 8:8-9

How often do you think about food? What types of cravings do you get for your favorite foods? Midnight snacks and mad dashes through our favorite drive-thrus are part of our lives and culture. Hunger is a drive necessary to sustain life while appetite is a desire to satisfy our cravings for food. Food is a necessity to our physical bodies and to enjoy good food is one of our greatest pleasures. However, even with all its necessity, this earthly food has no value to us spiritually.

If Paul is saying that what we eat, or do not eat, has no effect on our relationship with God, then why can we not eat whatever, drink whatever and be merry? One reason is because the choices that we make impact others. We must realize that our actions are being watched by others and that we have a responsibility as Christians to set godly examples for others. God does care about the behaviors and attitudes we exhibit that affect those around us.

There are numerous examples of this behavior in our churches today. Movies and television choices can influence our families and friends. What kind of example do we set for those in and out of the church? Would seeing certain movies stumble others? What about drinking alcohol? Many Christians have no problem with limited alcohol consumption. But, would it not influence the Christian who feels that this type of drinking, without exception, is wrong? Some might argue that the Christian church in general stumbles non-believers, because much of our behavior is not just in the world, it is of the world.

Food is not the real issue, but it is certainly representative of how our behaviors as Christians can greatly affect those around us, even if there is technically “nothing wrong” with certain activities. Jesus gave His life for us so that we can have the real food—the bread of life. If we follow Him, our choices in this world will bring glory and honor to His name while also setting the right example for others. We should pray not to get hung up on things of no value spiritually but to get caught up in the Spirit of God so that we may be a blessing to others, not a stumbling block.