Permissible Saturday

This Saturday morning was like many Saturday mornings. Cartoons were on the TV. Matt and I were making a big breakfast. The rest were playing in the family room. This particular Saturday the kids chose to play with a new set of plastic balls. The problem arose when the girls started throwing the balls. I don’t know who started it. But I do know who ended it. After several warnings both girls were standing in corners. When their prison sentience expired we discussed the reason they were sent to time-out.


We talked about possible problems with hard plastic balls flying through the air. We considered potential outcomes of balls knocking down one of my “pretties”. Or worse yet, breaking a window and letting in the cold air. And that they would have to pay to replace them out of their allowance money.

Then, as usual, we discussed things we were allowed to do with the balls. We can bounce them. We can roll them. We can bowl with them. We can try and stack them. But Rebekah had a different idea. She took the ball and started banging the ball on her head while saying, “I can do this”.

Yes, Rebekah, I guess you can hit yourself. But why would you want to? It reminded me of the Bible verse “Everything is permitted, but everything isn’t beneficial.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)

There are several things that we are allowed to do but that doesn’t mean that they are necessarily beneficial. The most common one mentioned in the church is drinking alcohol. We are constantly reminded that we are allowed to drink just not get drunk. (Ephesians 5:18 [NLT] “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit”) Therefore, we are allowed to consume adult beverages but to what cost and for what reason? We should consider who it will effect and what could be gained from it. Is the benefit worth the expense?

I am sure there are several additional things we can do that are permissible but not necessarily beneficial. We can eat an entire chocolate cheesecake for dessert. We can drink four cans of Mountain Dew right before bed. We can drive 10 miles over the speed limit. (OK. Wait. That one might actually be beneficial.) We can sin in a variety of ways. But, just as with alcohol consumption, we should weigh our decision with the pros and cons involved and really consider if it beneficial.

I know Rebekah’s point in hitting herself was to show me she could find something that wasn’t on our list of rules. She had no intentions of actually hurting herself. But she did nevertheless. Just as I am sure doing any of these things can lead to hurting ourselves. So when considering choices to make we really need to think before we act. Many things may indeed be permissible but are they worth it? And what if you thought it was allowed and you find out later you were wrong? Who knows, maybe your Father might even put you in the corner for a time out. So be careful.