As Strong As The Weak Places (1 Corinthians 8)

7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. ⁸ But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. - 1 Corithians 8:7
 

This chapter of Paul's 1st letter to the Corinthian church is dealing with one of the controversial topics of Paul's day: eating meat that was sacrificed to idols. Strangely enough, I remember thinking about this back when I was a boy, because a friend of our families was a Buddhist. Each year this friend's temple would put on a giant barbeque, with all the proceeds going to support the temple's operations for a year. Growing up, I never really thought about this, and it was really tasty chicken. But one year, it bothered me that I was helping to support a Buddhist temple. So I asked my family not to buy any for me.

Now, I look back on that and wonder whether it was worth all of the angst I felt at the time. I don't think so. It is chicken. No more, no less.

But this verse has helped me to deal with a lot of other issues in my life, whether books or music or movies or even social situations. Because my conscience is weak. Sometimes the thing itself is not bad, but the associations that I have with it are bad. So, I should proceed no further. Maybe, at some time in the future, my conscience will be strong. At that time, it will be different.

I ran into this again last year when I found that one of my favorite Christian artists had gone astray. The songs had always spoken to me deeply. So I used this test: Were my thoughts being drawn towards God or was I being distracted by this artists behavior? In this case, push and prod as I might, God was still the focus. So I still listen.

I've always thought: I am the strong one, able to look on weakness of other brothers and sisters (see Romans 14). But I am not. I am full of weak places, requiring the mercy of God and my family.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. - 2 Corinthians 4:7