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“A Sin Against Christ”

Thoughts for Today:

Last summer, my daughter Amanda and I had a lot of fun catching fish off the dock of our home in northern Idaho. Early one morning, as Amanda reeled in a particularly big fish, she declared, "I'm going to keep this one." I usually prefer "catch and release" versus "catch and eat", so I asked her, "What do you plan on doing with it?" Amanda answered, "I'm going to let Abby play with it, and then I'll let it go." (Abby is our dog who has a great interest in all things related to fish.) I said, "I don't think that's such a good idea. If Abby hurts it while she's playing, it's probably going to die, even if you let it go." Amanda thought for a moment, and then said, "You're probably right. God wouldn't be too happy if a fish died because of me. Besides, you wouldn't like it too much either."

I think Amanda's perspective applies pretty well to the way we are to exercise our God-given liberty around other people. We must always consider: How will applying our freedom in the things we want to do affect another person. Why? Because Jesus cares about even His weakest children. They may seem to be worriers, meddlesome, spoiled, and frightened (perhaps in need of a little toughening up), but regardless of their deficiencies, He loves them so much He died for them. So before we say, "I'll do what I want with the fish I catch, go where I want, or eat as much steak as I can find," we must realize: If flaunting our liberty hurts another believer, then we have not only sinned against him or her, but Christ as well.

Questions to Ponder:

Have you considered how exercising your freedom may be a sin against Christ? How so? Because if by demonstrating your liberty it wounds the conscious of a weaker brother or sister, then it is a sin against Christ. Therefore, those who are strong have a responsibility to protect the weak. There is also one additional benefit: It creates a greater sensitivity in us personally. Do you need to apply a little more tenderness in your relationships?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.