Friday; June 3

When the early Christian church opened its doors to those with a Gentile (non-Jewish) background, some problems developed. Many of the first Christians had come out of Judaism, so Christianity didn’t create much of a lifestyle change; however, that wasn’t the case with many of the Gentiles. These folks had been pagans, had lived under the Greek and/or Roman cultures and were having to get used to the concept of monotheism. In and of itself, this blending of cultures created some issues; but one of the most challenging was whose needs were going to take precedence. Most Jews merely moved on with a deeper understanding of godliness, but a lot of the Gentiles started at Square One. I am sure that the Jewish Christians advocated their “right” to do what they felt comfortable doing, while the Gentile Christians needed to go slow and learn a paradigm for God-centered religion. Eventually, this would lead to a question of who would get their way – those whose faith is firmly established or those who were new to the process. Surprisingly, the answer would be that the mature were to acquiesce to the newcomers. The Apostle Paul would state, “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Romans 15:1-2).

Our society seems to be fascinated by advocating for our rights. While there is a time and place for this, we must be cautious that we do not drive people away in our own self-centered pursuit of satisfaction. Let’s be willing to serve others when we need to do so. By surrendering our rights for their needs, we can all mature and promote the cause of Christ.

Think About It!

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