“Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.” (1 Corinthians 6:12 MSG)
Several years ago, my dad taught me a valuable lesson. He was packing for an international trip. Instead of taking the maximum amount of carry-on luggage that was allowed by the airlines, he packed his essentials into a small bag that would fit underneath the seat in front of him. I asked him why he would choose to relinquish his right to take two large bags like the rest of the passengers--not to mention the precious legroom on a long flight! He replied: “Most of the passengers will carry the maximum allowable luggage, thus filling up all the overhead bins on the airplane. If a few passengers like me are willing to give up their allotted space, someone else can have a bit more.” At the time, I thought my dad was making unnecessary sacrifices. I watched as people filed into the plane with more than their share of bags, taking advantage of any extra space. While I bristled at the unfairness of it all, my dad remained unperturbed. He wasn’t expecting anyone else to acknowledge, appreciate, or emulate his selflessness.
Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it is spiritually appropriate. If we went around doing whatever we could get away with, we would be shackled to our whims. There are times when giving up our rights can have a higher purpose. Our sacrifices may not be acknowledged, appreciated, or emulated. This might seem unfair, impractical, and pointless. However, there is inherent value in self-restraint. Even if our choices are hidden from the public, we know. Our sense of self-respect is deeply intertwined with how we behave when no one is watching. Abstaining from our individual freedoms may benefit our personal growth as well as the world around us. Let us use our privilege to make good choices wisely.
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