GLORIFYING GOD
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
What do you think Paul was trying to say in this passage? How do you think Paul’s message would manifest in today’s society? Are there areas in your personal life to which this applies?
The Bible states in 1 Corinthians 10:31 (New International Version), “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” I think that Paul was telling believers that we should always worship God. No matter what we do, we ought to honor God by living in the way that pleases Him. This is a verse that always dwells on my mind. I consider it a privilege to be able to live for God. And, I also think that it’s special that Christians can live in a state of constant worship.
In John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, he wrote that “God’s glory is the end of all his works and actions” (Gill, n.d.). God should get all of the glory because we were created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). We belong to God. We were created for His purpose and for His pleasure. We weren’t meant to live without Him in any way. We were brought at a high price; even our bodies belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I think that it’s important that we realize that the Holy Spirit lives in us. Christians must realize that our bodies are our temples. God lives in us! We must bear good fruit by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide every aspect of our lives.
Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Bible states in 1 Corinthians 10:23 (New International Version), “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.” The Bible also talks about gluttony being sinful in diverse scriptures. We are free in Christ to live for His glory not to live foolishly. By grace we’ve been saved. The only right response to grace, is to fear the Lord in reverence all day and every day. This is simply done by choosing to put Him first in everything.
Particularly, we should have a have a healthy lifestyle. We shouldn’t eat things that are harmful to our bodies nor should we consume more than what we need. I think that we should strive to live healthy by considering the Lord’s opinion on our food choices. I also think that we should make exercise a priority because it’s good for our body and mind. In 3 John 1:2 (New Living Translation), the Bible states “…I hope all is well with you and that you are healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.” We have to be healthy so that we can actively serve the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ body was broken so that ours can be made whole. We shouldn’t ignore the suffering of our Lord’s body.
In today’s society, Paul’s message may not be manifested in everyone’s lives, but it has been accepted into the lives of many Christians, including mine. I am health conscious. This month, my family has completed a one-year journey of veganism. Although we have ended our journey, we have learned so much about the role that food plays in the body. We still eat very clean and exercise often. Spiritually, we know that God keeps us whole. We just do our part by acting on faith by doing what we can in the physical. I believe that Paul’s message would ultimately manifest today if the media would promote healthy living and if the gov’t made healthy foods more affordable. All things are possible with God!
Jennifer Quetant
References
Gill, J. (n.d.). 1 Corinthians 10:31. Retrieved from https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/1-corinthians-10-31.html