Straight Up

Right and wrong. True and false. Black and white. I like things simple; I like things straight. Be forward with me—I’m an American.*

Ah, the difficulty is that anyone who has lived some life realizes things get complicated. Sometimes the line between right and wrong becomes thick…fuzzy…gray.

This reality does not make me comfortable.

* Not to say that I represent all Americans or that I am dissimilar from persons of other cultures, but Americans are well known for their blunt forwardness.

Holy Days?

Years ago I began studying Romans chapter fourteen, and it baffled me initially (Romans 14). I’ll quote some of it, but I recommend that eventually one read the entire chapter for context and a lot of awesome stuff—Romans is amazing.

To be brief, in this section Paul addresses a bit of a conflict (specifically verses five and six). Some believers have holy days (e.g. observe the Sabbath) while others do not. Some believers eat all meat while others do not because it might be unclean or have been used in pagan ceremony.

If I were Paul, verses five and six would address the issue and then say which party (if either) was right/wrong. But he doesn’t! Paul does not specifically say who is right or wrong in those verses. (He more or less does in the greater context, but that is not my point here.)

There is something much more important to Paul than just being “right” or “wrong”. Check out these verses:

5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

Whether or not the Sabbath should be observed is secondary. The meat you eat, also secondary. The important question: Are your actions unto the Lord?

Are you worshipping with what you are or are not observing/eating?

Liberating

I still like things to be black and white, but I’ve discovered that the important issue is whether my focus is on people/actions or Jesus. Not to say that people/actions are unimportant, but how much more important is our God?

Once I was in bondage to questions and worries (e.g. “Is this ok?” “Where should I go?” “What should I be doing”). But now I am (or should be) essentially worry free as long as I’m seeking God and doing my best for His glory. Whether it ends up being precisely right is not nearly as important as doing it as worship unto Him.

I hope this makes sense.

Said another way: if I perform either (a) an almost right action unto the Lord as worship or (b) a perfectly right action but not unto the Lord, God prefers the former.

The New Black and White

The new “black and white” litmus test is not “Is it ok to eat this?” but “Am I eating this unto the Lord?”

This new standard is awesome and freeing…just often difficult by which to judge others (and maybe for good reason, check verse four of the same chapter).