Slave to None

"Everything is permissible- but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible- but not everything is constructive." 1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV

Apparently God was really wanting me to get this verse, as I have been hit with it a couple of times over the last 2 days.  Now this is not a new verse to me, as a matter of fact I have put it on my fridge in the past to use as a motivation.  However, it is really not something I have thought much about until the last couple of days.  I think that people who are not Christians, sometimes think that to be a Christian you have to be a perfect human who never does anything wrong and sits at home reading their bible, never has fun, and is completely boring.  However, I think that is the complete opposite of what God has intended for us.  After all, he is the one who created our sense of humor and desire to have fun.  He doesn't want us to be so caught up in the legalism that many churches and denominations want to place on us, that we never actually do anything that he has intended for us to do.
As you know, right now I have been seeing everything through a lens of treating my body more like the temple that it is suppose to be.  This verse is the absolute perfect verse for anyone who struggles in the area of their health.  Everything is permissible- sure you can have that chocolate cake, fresh donut, or giant Dr. Pepper, but is it beneficial?  Will you lose your salvation because you ate a Hershey bar?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!  Will you lose the ability to fit in those skinny jeans because you ate a Hershey bar?? Probably not, as long as it isn't a daily occurrence.  However, bad choice after bad choice in the area of what we eat do add up (the number on my scale and size of my jeans are proof of that).

"Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things).  Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power." 1 Corinthians 6:12 AMP.  

 God wants us to enjoy our lives, but he doesn't want us to be slave to anything.  If you can't say no to a Snickers bar ever time you go through the line at the grocery store, you are probably slave to it.  If you can't go a day without a Coke, you are probably a slave to it.  God is not sitting in heaven writing out a list of rules for us so that every time we fall short (which for me is A LOT) he can put another tally on his naughty list or throw a lightening bolt at us.  He created us and loves us just as I love my own child (probably even more).  Just like I tell my daughter "NO" when she reaches for the hot stove to protect her from burning her hand, God sets up boundaries to protect us.  When it comes to living a healthy life, I am slowly learning what my boundaries are.  The best thing is, that my boundaries may be different from yours.  God knows our weaknesses and our strengths.  If we listen to the promptings of his Holy Spirit (and it does take time to learn to do that, I am still learning), we will always be guided in the right direction.  Even in the area of our physical body.  Like I said God created this physical body, my guess is that he knows much better than me how to take care of it.