“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1 Corinthians 6:12
Paul tells us in this scripture that because of our faith in Christ, we are no longer under condemnation of the law. But he goes on later in the chapter to explain that our bodies are members of Christ’s body. Therefore we have a responsibility to whatever we allow into our bodies, minds and spirit.
The bible is full of cautions about plunging headlong into practices that could drag us down – chipping away at our faith. If we dabble in those things long enough we run the risk of eventually going against God’s will for our lives. The old story of the frog in the pan of water is a true warning. As the heat is slowly turned up by our selfish desires and lack of awareness, we don’t even notice that we have reached the boiling over point. Then it’s too late – we have crossed the line once again. We let ourselves be deceived into thinking we could manage on our own.
This is when we find we have been mastered by our indulgence. What seemed innocent at the time now has us back into the bondage we were so happy to be rid of. And we discover that we have worn ragged the relationships of people who have tried to support us.
But there is a Savior waiting to restore us. Jesus will catch us when we jump from the fire. It takes time to heal from the burns and brokenness, but He has strong arms and a longsuffering heart – enough to get you back on track. But you must take that leap!
Thank you Jesus that you stand ready to restore me once again. Forgive me for my indulgence and carelessness.
