“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
The Earth Is the Lord's
Eating and drinking are something we all need to do. Neither of these are optional, so it’s these things we should be doing for God’s glory. But, as with most things, we need to add some context around this verse to truly understand what’s being said.
Paul is writing to a predominantly non-Jewish church. These people were not well-versed in Jewish food laws, yet people would visit the same places as Paul declaring that they needed to maintain the high standard of Jewish living in order to be accepted by God. Of course, Christians everywhere believe that the only way to be accepted by God the Father is through Christ the Son’s sacrifice on the cross. But this way of thought was prevalent and pervasive.
So, Paul needs to address this to ensure the church at Corinth was not led astray. All of what he’s writing is encouraging the church at Corinth then and us now that everything belongs to God. He quotes Psalm 24:1 to prove it: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
To sum all this up, Paul is writing for the church to enjoy all that God has given them with gratitude. Offer it up for the glory of God.
For the Good of Many
This is something that we could all do practically today, especially the last part that Paul writes in verse 33, “…even as I try to please everyone in every way…so that they may be saved.”
When we give our lives to Christ, we’re no longer seeking our own good but ”the good of many.” And this with the sole purpose of leading others to Christ. When we’re annoying and always trying to poke holes in people’s character or generosity, we’re not modeling Christ. By doing that, we’re “raising questions of conscience”—things that don’t really matter to salvation.
Christ accepts all who believe in him, and our great commission—the one we received from Jesus himself—is to go out to the world and make disciples of all people. Paul here is just outlining one way for us to do that.
So, be generous. Do not be suspicious of others, especially when you’ve been given no reason to not trust someone. Put on the mantle of our Rabbi Jesus who has commanded us to love one another as he has loved us.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice for us. Help us to recognize that you died for others as well and to love others as you have loved us. Increase our generosity; increase our love for one another; and give us strength to carry out your great commission for us.