Daily Direction Reading PlanSample

Christianity Today once carried a cartoon of an usher about to seat a couple at a morning worship service. The usher asks the couple, "Do you want the clapping or the non-clapping section?" The cartoon illustrated what people often wrestle with—what practices do we accept or reject among God's people. On certain issues, there is no debate—like the existence of God, the person of Christ, heaven and hell, the way of salvation. On many other issues, there are no clear biblical mandates. For nonessential issues, it is important for God's people to disagree without being disagreeable. The Apostle Paul dealt with this issue using the question of whether to eat certain foods. In Romans 15, he explained to the believers that on non-essential issues, they should realize that the kingdom of God is not about what we eat or drink. It is about living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Goodness focuses on pleasing God; peace fosters harmony among God's people; and joy is the inner benefit to the individual. Paul urged them to look beyond the outward practice to the spiritual purpose. Love should always govern our conduct. Those who want to engage in some nonessential activity should stop and think. How will this affect others? Our aim should be to help others do what is right and build them up. The goal should be to live in harmony with others.