“Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; for the earth is the Lord’s, andall it contains. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake.”

Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit in his writings, is no killjoy. Christians are notorious for taking this entire discussion and using it as a sort of “Christian law,” imposing restriction on the freedom in Christ that others would want to enjoy. The result in some lives creates such an austerity that all they do is sit around being afraid to enjoy anything for fear of doing something other than traditional worship activities.

God does not intend Christians to withdraw from the world, to sit around chanting, meditating, going to church services, and generally leading austere, dour lives with no enjoyment of anything else. Scripture impales such thinking:

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (Col. 2:20–23)

Rather, as Christians we are free to enjoy the things of life. For the Corinthians, that meant freedom to enjoy food served them in non-believer’s homes. Nothing better than a finely cooked steak, as it were, and Paul says, “Enjoy it!” Don’t be so overly meticulous that you raise an issue at every minutia. What about the butter—did it come from a goat sacrificed to idols? What about the gravy? Paul’s attitude is, “Just eat it and enjoy it. Don’t make it into a problem when it is not one.” Meat is part of God’s creation; idol worship doesn’t change that, so we should not let legalism take away from us all the good meat.

The abundant life Jesus came to give (John 10:10) enables us to enjoy God’s good gifts here on earth, as well as the eternal joys of heaven with Christ. Christians of all people should be able to enjoy, celebrate, and feel good with gusto, over all that God gives us, whether that is steak, ice cream, wine, dancing, the clothes we wear, or the movies we see. And we should do things with gusto. We should never equivocate this truth by allowing anyone to straitjacket us, to manipulate us into conformity designed to control us.

Lord, thank You for the tangible things of life You created for us to enjoy.