Now That’s a Good Question
Our actions have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are our own, sometimes they’re not. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he answers a question about eating food that was offered to idols. He points out that for some this isn’t an issue because they know the idols aren’t God, because there is only one God.
However, some people believed eating food that was offered to idols was wrong. Paul points out that food doesn’t bring us closer to God. He goes on to say that the issue is that some people have a weak conscience and can be easily lead astray.
Our actions can lead others down wrong roads.
We all have our own sets of individual values. What’s right for one person may not be right for another. One example of this is a Ouija board. As a kid I remember some of my cousins had one. We played with it a few times. For me it was just a game. We moved the piece around to get it to spell things and had a good laugh.
It was never a mystical séance thing. It wasn’t until years later that I even knew that it was anything more than a game.
But what if someone seeing me play, caused them to believe it was true and convinced them that spirits were talking to them? This could have led them away from a relationship with God.
We need to be aware that our actions can send the wrong message.
This isn’t to say that we’re responsible for every action other people take. If this were the case, we wouldn’t be able to do anything.
How can we know what we should and shouldn’t do? After all, am I my brother’s keeper? This is the answer Cain gives in Genesis 4:9 when God asks him where Abel is. God goes on to indicate that he is to a point and that his actions are going to have severe consequences.
The Bible is a blueprint of how we are to live. What we are to do and not to do. It’s best if we align our actions with God’s plan.
It’s about where we put our focus. Is it on God or is it on the world?
I remember as a kid that some churches frowned upon card playing and dancing. Just like the Ouija board, I thought those things were fun. But I understand that these things could lead some people to bad places.
We need to be aware of this and understand the consequences that could happen. We aren’t responsible for everything others do, but we need to consider how our behavior can influence others.
Because to some degree … we are our brother’s keeper.