Whatsoever Ye Do, Part 2

In our last meditation we were considering these words of Paul:

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

We observed the all-inclusiveness of this commandment. Anything we do, even those things as routine as eating or drinking, is to be done to the glory of God. Everything we do arises from our choices. We choose and, therefore, act. This verse of Scripture provides us with a grid for processing our choices and thus our actions. Ask yourself regarding any activity you are doing or considering doing: “What is my goal in what I am doing or planning to do? Whose glory and honour am I really seeking? Is this thing I am doing all about me or is it about my Lord?” In asking yourself these questions you may discover sin at work in the seemingly most harmless activities or even in religious duties.

This was the sin of the scribes and Pharisees. Their religious works were done to gain the admiration of men rather than done to the glory of God. Speaking of the scribes and Pharisees, our Lord said:

Matthew 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

In any service you perform in the cause of God, do you have hurt feelings because people are not recognizing what you do and praising you for it? If this is the case, then why are you doing it in the first place? Are you doing it to achieve recognition of men or to glorify God? The above passage assures us that if we do our religious duties to the glory of God, God will reward them whether men acknowledge them or not.

But then what about ordinary things that we do for ourselves like eating, drinking, watching a movie, going swimming, making love to our spouse, or taking a hike with a friend? How can we do these things to the glory of God? Let’s take eating and drinking as an example, since that is the example specifically mentioned in our passage.

There can be no doubt that eating and drinking is something we do for ourselves. They are necessary for our survival and they are two of the greatest pleasures we enjoy on this earth. In fact, we spend most of our waking hours during the week working so that we may eat.

Proverbs 16:26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

We eat food so that our body may have strength to function.

1 Samuel 28:22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

And generally people enjoy eating. In fact, God gives us fruitful seasons for the purpose of “filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). Since, then, we eat and drink for ourselves, for our strength and enjoyment, how do we eat and drink to the glory of God?

First of all, we eat and drink to the glory of God when we receive our food and drink as gifts from God and give Him thanks for it.

1 Timothy 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Secondly, we receive our nourishment so that we may be strengthened thereby to serve and glorify God. This is using our food and drink to the glory of God.

The problem arises when eating and drinking becomes an end in itself. For example, there are those who will compromise truth and disobey God just to secure a means of feeding themselves. Paul speaks of such in these passages:

Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Philippians 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

People who make a god out of their belly and so order their lives to fill their belly are certainly not eating and drinking to the glory of God.

If more people were eating and drinking to the glory of God, I suspect we would see far less obesity than we see today. People who eat to the point of gluttony and drink to the point of drunkenness are not eating and drinking to the glory of God. An uncontrolled lust for food and drink has taken them over and satisfying that lust has become the end of their eating and drinking. This brings to mind the words of wise man Solomon:

Proverbs 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Ecclesiastes 10:17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

One cannot violate these principles of wisdom to the glory of God. It is one thing to eat and drink for strength. It is another thing entirely to eat and drink to excess, to the point of its becoming damaging to one’s health and welfare. Remember, your body is not your own to do with as you please. Your body belongs to God to glorify Him with it. Therefore, “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

I have more I wish to write about this, but I shall let this suffice for today.