Hello!
I am new here and joined the forum for Christian fellowship since my kids are grown and I'm home alone now. I do have fellowship at church but thought it would be nice to be able to discuss things here also. And that brings me to the verse. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says: Therefore whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. It's the "whatever you do" that has me stumped. How are we to bring glory to God in everything we do? For example, when I am at home watching a baseball game I don't see any way to bring glory to God in that. But the Bible clearly states that we are to bring glory to God in "whatever we do." Any thoughts?
Welcome to the forums!
1 Corinthians 10:31 is part of a discourse from St. Paul urging Christians to not make idols of things of this earth. (He rattles off a list of 'don't dos').
Food, drink and proper sexuality are just a few of the things he lists as things that are to be properly discerned as belonging to God, and not to idols or treated as idols themselves. And when, in verse 31 he says: 'whatever you do', he is continuing his thought that we are, as Christians, to bear in mind that all things are from God. I suppose, to use your example of watching baseball, the crucial point he is making that becomes relevant for us, is to not make an idol of baseball. To not let baseball take priority over God in our daily lives. To be thankful to God that we can take comfort and see Him in the gifts and talents of the players. Perhaps, we can even find ways to use baseball watching to bring others closer to God? Does the ability to talk knowledgable about baseball allow you to have conversations with others? Could that become a springboard to a conversation about the gospel?
I won't pretend to know God's purpose in all things, but it is certainly possible that watching baseball can be a way to honor God...but it is something you will have to prayerfully consider for yourself.
To return to the specific verse, when taken in the context of all of chapter 10, I would speculate that the main point from St. Paul was to not treat things of this earth as if they were higher than God in importance to our lives. The context of the chapter seems to indicate that Paul was being accused (as Jesus was) of dining with those who were not considered 'worthy', and this might have caused some scandal in the church at Corinth. Paul responds with a bit of 'as long as it (being the food and drink) wasn't being offered to idols, God can find purpose in it, and it was more than OK that he dine with these 'sinners'.
So, as a short answer repeated: as long as watching baseball isn't an idol, and becoming more important than God in our lives, we should prayerfully consider what God might want to use this for to bring both ourselves and others closer to Him.
Hope that helps a bit,
Peace in Christ
Hawkiz