Daily Devotional

I have heard people use the word "personal conviction" very often. I asked the Lord one day, "Lord, is there such a thing as a personal conviction?" I mean, if there were thirty people in a room and twenty- nine were smoking and one is not because of a personal conviction, who is right? You see, the Holy Spirit given by God will not convict one person of something, and not convict others. God is not a God of confusion.

Well, that is what Paul was addressing here to the Corinthians. Each one of us have been brought up differently; we have different parents, different belief systems, different philosophies on life ... and these govern our lives.

Paul says, "All things are lawful unto me." In other words, there is a law to everything in life. A silly example is a fishing rod ... it has laws, a way of being used. You cannot use a fishing rod to hunt duck or deer. A fishing rod is used for catching fish.

"But all things are not expedient." There are some laws that are detrimental to our health or to our spiritual lives. There are some customs or beliefs that, if you follow, could lead you into bondage and attack. You see, all things are lawful unto me, but not all things are expedient.

Study your life. Who and what are you being directed by? Do you hold onto old customs? Or do you take instruction from the Holy Spirit? Or are you easily influenced by others? Do you have the boldness and the power to take a stand for the Kingdom of God or do you easily push the Kingdom aside to please other people and their customs? Be sober and be vigilant. Choose to live your life led by the power of a living God who abides within you.