Focus on those things that build others up instead of tearing them down. Life is much more satisfying if we focus on what is going right instead of always pointing out what is wrong with the world. We want to be builders who leave things better than when we got them.
1 Corinthians 10:23-33
All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
Walking the Fence
My sister worked as a waitress right out of high school. Once they hired a new waitress and one of her first comments was “What can we get away with around here?” She didn’t last long. Everyone wants to know what they can do without getting in trouble. Some people call this walking the fence. The problem with walking the fence is the eventually you are going fall and end up with splinters. The key isn’t to see what you can get away with but to focus on the things that are helpful and beneficial. Paul is very clear that we are not to seek our own good. There are many areas in our life where we can walk the line between sin and liberty. It may be okay to do but it definitely may not be the best thing for you.
Set Apart from the World
As Christians, we are going through a process called sanctification. That means we are being set apart from the world and our old life and being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. Some days it’s two steps forward and one back. Other days it’s threes steps back and one forward. Fortunately, God is patient and will stick with the process until we are in His presence. With that in mind, we need to set our mind on that process and put behinds us our old habits. Cultivate new habits like seeking the good of our neighbors and how we can serve them.