Daily Devotional 10/16/25
How often do you receive advice when you share with people about being a caregiver? I bet it is easy to pick out who has actually gone through your type of situation. There is a lot of bad advice floating around—thank you, social media. Most of it comes from people who want to comfort you but have no idea what they are talking about.
Recently, I had some terrible advice given to me from a well meaning (I hope) lady at church. I’m going to extend some grace and say that she isn’t aware that her suggestions were contradictory to scripture. But it got me wondering, what do we do when we are confronted with advice that does not match our beliefs?
Today’s scripture comes from Paul at the end of his letter to the Corinthian church. The church is made up of gentiles living in a bustling, Roman-controlled city, that by most standards was a vibrant city. By Biblical standards, however, the idolatry and perversions abounded. Paul spends the majority of his letter clarifying that the people were not expected to live under the Mosaic law and all its traditions (as Jews would have done), but they could not continue to live as they had been. They were to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be set apart.
Like Corinth, our culture is full people from other countries and religions. When we don’t know the Bible and have not been discipled effectively, culture creeps into our Christian faith. There are a lot of things that seem innocent enough, but are firmly rooted in other religions. Please understand this today: It is not possible to serve Jesus and other gods too.
So, what are we to do when we are confronted with advice that does not match our beliefs? I will let Paul answer. We must be watchful. We must stand firm in the faith. We must act like men (meaning with strength and courage). We must be strong. And finally, we must let all that we do be done in love.
It would never be my desire for your caregiving to be complicated with a rift with someone over these things, but it may happen. My encouragement to you will be the same I gave myself after the bad advice I received. I stood firm in the moment though it was not received well. I will continue to live my life as God instructs through his Word and through the leading of the Holy Spirit. And I will continue to pray for my church acquaintance. I accept that God may use me to speak to her again, but it is not my job to change her mind.
Prayer for today:
Heavenly Father, I am thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit that helps me discern when someone is giving advice that contradicts your Word. Help me to be salt and light to the world around me by living a life set apart and counter-cultural. I pray these things in Jesus mighty, holy name, Amen.
