All for the Glory of God

I faced a hard situation. To tell all I have to tell a little backstory.

When my husband and I got married, I transfered my internet to our house. The internet company treated the transfer as if I started a new account and offered me a prize for holding the highest speed package. I got a TV.

Long story short, we didn't need the TV. We had TVs in all our rooms. So I figured we could just offer it up for a small price and make a couple bucks.

Someone bought it. They paid and I spent the money that they gave me. Didn't think twice.

A few days later the buyer reached out it was broken in package.

I had no way of verifying this. It was unopened when I sold it. They very well could have broken that TV afte they opened it and reached out, and lied to scam me.

I had to choose how to handle it.

I could accuse them of scamming me, without anything more than a hunch.

I could have washed my hands of the situation. After all, they should have verified it worked when they bought it. It wasnt MY fault they bought a broken TV.

Or I cold take them at thier word, refund the money and take back the TV.

My head went through all the options. In the end I chose to refund the money.

Why?

What kind of person do I want to be?

An honorable person that lives without reproach. I didn't want to be involved in any activity that could have left me in a light that could be interpreted as my initiating a scam. After all, it was a FREE TV we didnt NEED the money.

So I chose to show grace.

I chose to give the benefit of the doubt.

I've been told I let people walk all over me and take advantage of me.

But Jesus is my example. Jesus knew that he would be betrayed, backstabbed, and ultimately murdered.

He didn't protect himself. He protected his witness.

"But Jesus wasnt a pushover"...

"Jesus flipped the tables"...

But WHY?

Who or what was he protecting or defending?

It wasnt himself!

It was God.

He was protecting his children.

The temple was exploiting them.

GOD fights my battles.

GOD defends me

GOD will pay back the wrongs that have been done to me.

Im called to show the love of God.

Im called to be a witness.

Im called to give glory in ALL that I do.

The passage in the picture above comes from the following passage.

23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26 For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This passage is specifically in reference to questioning if someone can eat a food just because another is not able to eat it.

To sum up what I get out of it its this:

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. Don't do anything that will cause another to stumble.

While this passage was in regard to food and the verse is often quoted by itself its pretty clear... If the food we eat or the drink we consume should glorify God how much more should we apply that to ALL of our actions.