“You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
—Genesis 4:7
There are certain questions in life that we don’t need to think about or pray about. Why? Because we already know what God says about them.
For example, we already know that it’s not okay to steal because God tells us, “You must not steal” (Exodus 20:15 NLT). We already know that it’s not okay to have an adulterous relationship because God says, “You must not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14 NLT).
But then there are things that we’re unsure about. We don’t know for certain whether they’re right or wrong.
The good news is that we can set up some safeguards in our lives to help us determine what we should do. Before you engage in that activity you’re uncertain about, ask yourself some questions.
First, does it build you up spiritually, or does it tear you down? The apostle Paul wrote, “You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 10:23 NLT).
You should avoid, at all costs, anything that could tear you down spiritually, pull you away from the people of God, keep you from Christian fellowship, or take the edge off your desire for prayer or Bible study.
Second, does it bring you under its power? Again, Paul wrote, “I must not become a slave to anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT). I don’t want to be under the control of anyone or anything except Jesus Christ.
Third, do you have an uneasy conscience about it? Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, “If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning” (Romans 14:23 NLT).
These are things we need to consider as believers because we have an adversary, the Devil, who is waiting to strike. So be careful.