Devotional Messages

Influences on Our Walk

Paul's message to the Corinthians in today's reading is similar to his message in the fourteenth chapter of his letter to the Romans: Don't participate in acts which will make it harder for any fellow believers to live out their faith, even if these acts are fine for you and are not unbiblical. There are many ways to apply this teaching in today's world.

An example (especially within youth groups, I've found) is the interaction of members who are dating, or married etc, with those who are single. Those who are single may be feeling lonely or left out, especially if those in couples are actively coupled around them. In this circumstance, an application of Paul's teaching would be for those in couples to make sure they don't flaunt their relationship, making others feel more lonely and depressed.

Another example may be the type of television or movies you watch. Firstly, remembering that elsewhere in the Scriptures we are commanded to surround ourselves with things of purity and goodness, there should not really be much doubt as to the standard of programmes we should watch. Nevertheless, many believers happily watch programmes with fighting, swearing and worse. Whatever these believers surround themselves with, they should be careful not to influence other believers, who may think these programmes 'unhelpful' in their Christian walk, yet are tempted to watch.

A final example would be one from my own life: God's teaching of respecting authorities and treating the law of the land as the law of God spoke to me, and found particular application in regards to crossing roads illegally. As part of this, I was convicted of the need, when at traffic lights, to only walk when the little green man said to. This became tough when walking with friends (believers and non-belivers alike), when they looked both ways and crossed, being in too much of a rush. I would often then reluctantly follow, knowing that I'd failed God. However, it was to my utter joy when a friend whom I walked with most often realised my thoughts, and obligingly stopped at every traffic light with me. What an encouragement it was, and I'll never forget it.

Now the above examples are not perfect applications of Paul's teaching: sometimes the 'weaker' believer in these examples is not necessarily a weaker believer, but is more in tune with God's desires and is weak only in failing to stand up for their justifiable beliefs. In many ways then, these examples (specifically the latter two) also show how much the world around us influences us into following its ways and accepting its standards without question. If we're not careful, we'll accept the world as natural, and seek to differentiate ourselves from it rather than seeing that as God's children, the world is alien to us, and we should seek to not let it make us like everyone else. Much of the world acts to make it seem natural to ignore God.

Praise God for His love shown in your life, and pray that you will be able to see those parts of your life that aren't pleasing to Him, asking Him for strength to follow His path.