The Good of Others

 ^"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³² Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— ³³ even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 11 ¹ Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."- 1 Cor. 10:23-11:1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”-1 Cor. 10:23-26

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Build up someone else-use freedom to do this.

"Love Builds up Others."

-Verses 25-26

"Love Glorifies God."
               
-Verse 10:31-33

"Jesus is always our True North."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


         These verses are going to be part of my favorite verses for this year 2017. It is so strange when you seen a verse everyday but it takes someone like a pastor to explain it along with the other verse around it. The verse I am talking about here is: verse 23. I remember seeing that verse in the lunch room, on the back wall, every day during my college years. I remember thinking to myself too, "what does that really mean?" Here it is 5 years later and I finally understand that verse.
         I have seen 11:1 in my life so much. I have followed some people and those same people have encouraged my life and walk with God without even known it. I hope every day that I am living a Godly life to where people would see God in me and what to follow Him. The other things with all these verses are about doing good for others. Some things may cause other people to stumble or look away. We shouldn't look to our own good but to the good of others. We might want to save these clothes because they are special to us but will you ever wear them again. No, so pass them on to people that will use them and need them more then us. 
           We always have to live with the good intent of others in mind. That is called Love. That is what God is. They won't see God in us if we don't love them. Love points us towards God. That is our true North. When we turn our thoughts and actions towards others then we know what it is like to be like God in a sense of course. Sometimes we see what our actions can do or sometimes we won't see them but just have to believe that they are good. I have been through both of the ways. 
            In my own life, I have seen how other people thinking about others more then theirselves helped me grow in life and just as a person. It is always an "I want to do that too" sort of idea once you see it through other people. Then I have also seen where I won't know how loving them will turn out like at the children's shelter and the children I came in contract with there. I just have to trust and believe our God. It is also like sponsoring a child from overseas with Compassion or someone else. You just have trust what the company is doing and that God will lead the company to do the right thing. 
            This all could go with seeing how different people glorify God in different ways. I know when I see my friends glorifying God for every little thing or what I think is a little thing, it makes me think again, "why can't I do that in my life" and it turns into a challenge for myself. Sometimes we just don't understand what God might be teaching us because we do miss those little things and signs of doing good for others. Loving them when no one else can or will. Even loving our Christian brothers and sisters, when people are calling them names and making fun of their beliefs in certain things. We should be there supporting them every step of the way.