Thursday, May 1
By All Means
To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1 Corinthians 9:22
Six new families have moved into your small neighborhood over the summer. You decide to host a neighborhood cookout to help the new families get acquainted with other residents. It's a potluck, so you realize some folks might bring alcoholic beverages and that there will likely be smokers in the crowd. What do you do?
It's easy to guess what the apostle Paul would do if he were the host. He'd have plenty of tubs of ice to cool down soft drinks and other "beverages," and would make sure there were plenty of ashtrays available. Paul's guiding principle was to "by all means" reach out to those who need the Gospel—and that means making friends and guests feel welcomed instead of ostracized over lifestyle differences. Even though Paul wasn't required to, he engaged in some traditional Jewish ceremonial practices in order to identify with Jews who hadn't believed in Jesus.
If you have the opportunity to befriend non-Christians, focus on the things that will draw them close, not the things that will drive them away.
"Young man … if I thought I could win one more soul for Christ by standing on my head and beating a tambourine with my feet, I would learn how to do it."
William Booth
Read-Thru-the-Bible
1 Chronicles 26:1 - 28:21
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