LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
For the Glory of God
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Waving surrendered the whole life to the mastery of the Lord, having given up the pride of the flesh, all luxuries and self-gratification, there is the peril of asceticism. Perhaps fine clothes, or jewelry, or overindulgence in food were among the things that had to go when we surrendered wholly to the Lord. As we find our new joy in Him, not in these things, we may be driven beyond the will of God into an asceticism that dishonors Him.
More than one wholly surrendered Christian has mistakenly become indifferent and careless about personal attire or appearance, and has actually become repellent to others because of this mistake. Or, having been delivered from the sin of luxury in jewelry, we may be driven beyond the will of God into supposing that every bit of gold or silver we have should now be given away or sold and the proceeds given directly to the Lord's service. Christian women have actually sold their wedding rings under this form of sadly mistaken asceticism. The spirit is commendable, but neither the guidance nor the results are necessarily of God.
We are to maintain a golden mean between the extremes of asceticism and luxury. We are to take care of our personal appearance, our cleanliness, our clothing, so as to be attractive to our fellow men; it is a positive duty to be attractive Christians, both in dress and appearance, that others may be won to us in order that we may win them to our Lord. We are to do all things to the glory of God.
Another common form of asceticism among Christians is to assume the mistaken idea that when we have a choice between something that is hard and something that is easy, the hard thing is always God's will. His will may be just the opposite. There is not necessarily any virtue in difficulty, and there isn't necessarily any sin in ease. The only question is, What is God's will for us in each matter that comes before us? (Charles G. Trumbull).