Is It Okay For a Christian To . . . ? My Pastoral Response.

We’ve all heard the question before. “Is it okay for a Christian to . . . (fill in the blank here)?”

Perhaps you are asking it right now.

Doing Things That Build Us, Not Break Us

As Christians, we want to avoid the things that will hurt us spiritually. There are not only things that will build us up, but there are also things that will tear us down. When we start to do something, we should ask ourselves, “Does this build me up spiritually?”

The apostle Paul wrote, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NKJV). The Amplified Bible (AMP) expands these thoughts like this: “All things are legitimate [permissible–and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].”

Try this test.

The next time you are considering doing a particular activity, ask yourself the following:

Does this activity I’m considering bring me under its power? You don’t want to be under the power of anything but Jesus Christ.

Do I have an uneasy conscience about it? As Romans 14:23 says, “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (NKJV). Whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful.

Is Being a Christian Boring?

One of the devil’s most effective strategies is to convince people that the life Jesus offers is somehow restrictive, boring, or unfulfilling. He tries to distract us with empty, shallow, selfish, and ultimately destructive pursuits. He warps our perspective so that we can’t tell what’s truly meaningful and satisfying in life.

Don’t fall for his lies. Follow Christ.

Following Him isn’t lame and boring at all. In fact, it’s the best life there is!

I’ve been on both sides. I’ve tried what this world has to offer, and I’ve seen the emptiness of it. But I’ve been walking with the Lord for decades now, and each day is an adventure.

If you think the Christian life is boring, then you haven’t yet learned how to walk with God. He will change your outlook on life.

I think a Christian can look at a beautiful sunset and enjoy it more than anyone else, because the Bible says God has given us as Christians all things to richly enjoy. There is a deeper level of appreciation on our part. We can appreciate the simple things in life and find more pleasure and more fulfillment—not because we are looking to things, but because we are looking to God.

Consider the words of Psalm 1:1: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful” (NKJV). Here the word “blessed” means, “Oh, how happy.”

The happy life is the holy life, the life that is lived for God.

If you’re looking to be a happy person, walk with Him as closely as you can, as opposed to trying to figure out how much you can get away with and still be a Christian.

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Learn more about Pastor Greg Laurie

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