God’s Path Is Good For Everyone

Posted by In the"Bible Reflections and Devotionals" category 0 Comments

Today’s reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31 – 11:1

Recently I had an interesting chat with a Christian counselor about how she differs from “secular” counselors in her approach to divorce.

A secular counselor, she said, will help a client determine what he or she wants, and then the counselor will guide the person in that direction. Meanwhile, a Christian counselor helps a client apply God’s desires to life.

So, my friend said, a client wanting a divorce is likely to become frustrated after a few sessions with her. “As a Christian, I’m not necessarily going to encourage a client’s desire for a divorce,” she said. “That’s where I differ from a secular counselor.”

I thought of this today as I pondered this line from today’s reading:

“Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way.” (Verse 32-33)

It is significant that  “even as I try to please everyone” is in the second part of that quotation. Paul is telling us to think, first, of discouraging mistakes in others. Then, we should focus on pleasing our friends.

All of this brings to mind a time when a friend assumed I would help him hide his smoking habit from his girlfriend. He became angry with me when I didn’t.  In fact, I was the only one of our entire circle of friends who did not
keep his secret safe, so several others became annoyed with me too.

This incident proved fatal to all of those friendships, and I have often wondered if I might have been wrong. But when those thoughts come,  I quickly remember the girlfriend, and I know she benefited from my “mistake.” I remain proud of what I did.

Another famous, wise quotation does not come from The Bible, but I think it is applicable here: “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” (A bit of trivia: that quote is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but he read it first from the poet John Lydgate.)

If a great friend desires to do something I know to not be in the interest of God, he or she will probably not be pleased with my words of discouragement.

So be it. I cannot, in fact, please everybody.

Thanks be to God for His wise spirit that is our eternal path to peace. May I (and we) always choose to follow that path.