Leviticus 11 - You are What You Eat

"I am The Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy". Lev. 11:44. This chapter goes into a long list of things to be eaten and avoided - the clean vs. unclean. As Christians we do not adhere to such dietary restrictions as a matter of course. God gave Peter instruction in Acts 10 to eat what was formerly declared unclean. Paul speaks on applying the law to Christian living in Colossians 2:20-23. Furthermore he speaks specifically about the Christian freedom to eat in 1 Cor. 10:23-32. 

So how do we apply this passage to our lives?  I think that God is calling the nation of Israel to be set apart from other nations. To live among them, but be distinct. Eating is one of the more common activities we engage in and God was demonstrating that even in the mundane activities of life our alliegiance to Him should show. It's in the small things that our faith is demonstrated to the world. Our customs and our conduct speak to the world about our philosophy. It also demonstrates our faith in God. 

How do you know if a child will be responsible when given a car? Observe how responsible he is with his toys and his bicycle. In the small things we demonstrate Christ's character being formed in us. We separate ourselves from worldly indulgences and make holiness our aim. 

As the world looks at us are we engaging in unclean conduct?  What do our habits, our speech and our conduct saying about us?  What we take into our lives is a reflection of our values. Will we compromise virtue or keep ourselves pure?  Before we knew Christ we couldn't help but sin. But know that his spirit lives within us we now have the choice to live as the world or be set apart as God's child. We choose over and over again each day. 

The world is watching to see if our faith is real. Let's give them a demonstration today!  

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him.