Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
I have a confession to make. I’m not a perfect parent, shocker, I know. I currently live in a house with three boys, all under the age of 6. I’ve seen war. That being the case, there are plenty of instances where I’ve seen one of my kids try to do something that can only be described as completely moronic, and my response is to sit back and watch. At this point, it’s become sort of a pastime. For example, my 2-year-old decided to climb up a piece of furniture in his room to drop a person’s elbow onto his unsuspecting 5-year-old brother. Could I have stopped him? Sure, but gravity is a much better teacher than I am (Please don’t call CPS).
It’s a reminder that as people, we can do anything we want, but we can’t be surprised by the negative consequences that come from a negative action. Can you drive your car like a University of Georgia cornerback at 120mph through a school zone? You can, but you shouldn’t. Paul says it best in 1 Corinthians 6:12
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.
In other words, everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. On a more serious note, I can’t be surprised that the alcoholic I’m trying to lead to a relationship with Christ is confused by a social media post of my night out on the town with friends at the local bar. The world encourages you to be yourself and live your truth, but when Christ is your identity, and His word is truth, we must be above reproach. Ask yourself, what is beneficial for the Kingdom of God today?
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.