Prayer – Lord, what You think of me matters most. Help
me to hang onto that thought and not to do stupid things to please others or to
be swayed by public opinion. You are worthy of all my praise and honor.
If someone who isn't a believer asks you home for
dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you
without raising questions of conscience. (But suppose someone tells you,
"This meat was offered to an idol." Don't eat it, out of
consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. It might not be a
matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should
my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? If I can thank God for the
food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? So whether you eat
or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1
Corinthians 10:27-31
Meditate. Consider God’s word and listen to what He is
saying.
For why should my freedom be limited by what someone
else thinks? Somehow what others think of us…our motives, our character,
our actions and the words we speak…as well as how we dress…matters to us and to
others. We all want to be accepted and even loved by others, but how we are
perceived makes a difference. If you weren’t popular in growing up, then you
know just what I mean. I wasn’t popular…and I struggled to please others so
that I could be popular. I had friends who were in the same boat—and that
bonded us together. Now I question the power that I allowed others to have over
my own thoughts, feelings, and ultimately actions. By wanting to conform to
their standards, instead of God’s standards, I was not only limiting my
freedom, but also sometimes rejecting God ways.
For why should my freedom be limited by what someone
else thinks? Why should anyone’s freedom be limited by what someone else
thinks? It is. The limits of our freedom are defined by who we are, where we
live, and by our actions, decisions, and choices. Being in the United States
gives us such a great range of freedoms. We are blessed and can share that with
others in our nation—but we realize that there are people around the world that
don’t have the freedoms that we do. It is a well-known fact that there are a
large number of people around the world who can’t even worship and honor our
Lord openly and are brutally persecuted for their faith. Even within
persecution, people can still have their own thoughts—and it pleases the Lord
when our thoughts are centered on Him. The choice is ours to think what we
want. Focus on the Lord. In the New Testament story of Stephen, he focused on
the Lord even as he was stoned to death. Read more about Stephen in Acts 7.
The Jewish leaders
were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in
rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw
the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's
right hand. And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son
of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!" Then they put
their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged
him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats
and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him,
Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts 7:54-59
Stones used to build a wall...
instead of take a life.
Rocks in Israel
Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Praise Him all
creatures here below. Praise Him above all heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. Give God the glory.
Verses of Salvation ~ I pray that your love will
overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and
understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you
may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you
always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--the righteous character
produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and
praise to God. Philippians 1:9-11
Memory Verse of the Week ~ So whether you eat or
drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1
Corinthians 10:31 NLT
© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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