Hello, Brother in Christ!<\/p>\n
I recently got into a discussion about the usage of food in certain parlor games and advertisement tactics. In these situations, people would buy food and use it as paraphernalia to perform the game mechanics or as a way to advertise a product. The result of this is that the food gets destroyed and unfit for consumption. In short, it ends up in the trash.<\/p>\n
It’s merely a question borne from curiosity. I was wondering if a Christian who’s OK with such practices would look bad.<\/p>\n
I’m conflicted about this since we are also supposed to be good stewards of what God gives us. Spending money on something to be “wasted” could be seen as improper. Although it’s not explicitly prohibited in the Bible, the principle behind it violates God’s commands, so maybe some principles could be violated with “wasting food.” I put the words in quotation marks because I don’t think using food for games or advertising is wasting since they still serve a purpose.<\/p>\n\t
Yes, we are stewards of God. We are expected to use the resources God has given us to yield fruit for God (I Corinthians 4:1-2).<\/p>\n
To waste food to the point that people don’t have enough to eat is foolish, but that is not what is happening in the cases you listed. Many have raised gourds to use as decorations. Though they could be eaten, there is nothing wrong with putting them to other uses. As every gardener and farmer can tell you, not everything you grow is used for food. Some crops spoil before harvest or are destroyed by weather. These failures are recycled into the soil. That will likely happen to the food items used in your scenarios.<\/p>\n
We should not add rules where God has not given any. Some things are not sinful but may not be the best choice. For example, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city<\/em>” (Proverbs 16:32). This does not mean David sinned by conquering Jerusalem. Solomon is saying that having self-control is better than having physical strength. Physical strength doesn’t make you a better person.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Hello, Brother in Christ! I recently got into a discussion about the usage of food in certain parlor games and advertisement tactics. In these situations, people would buy food and use it as paraphernalia to perform the game mechanics or as a way to advertise a product. The result of this is that the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[241,38,691],"class_list":["post-67075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-food","tag-morality","tag-stewards"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":40155,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-dont-like-people-touching-my-food-is-it-biblically-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":67075,"position":0},"title":"I don’t like people touching my food. Is it biblically wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I would like to know how to deal with an issue of mine from a biblical point. I have a problem with people touching the food I'm eating and not having clean habits (by the way, it seems like a very silly \"problem\" now as I write it). It's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21045,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-can-i-do-about-my-teenage-sons-obsession-with-diapers-and-his-hiding-food-in-his-closet\/","url_meta":{"origin":67075,"position":1},"title":"What can I do about my teenage son’s obsession with diapers and his hiding food in his closet?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 17, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question regarding my teenage son's obsession with diapers. I have found out he has been on inappropriate web sites about diapers. This has been going on for about three years that we know of. The school found he was on a diaper site, and in fifth\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Adolescence"","block_context":{"text":"Adolescence","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/parenting\/adolescence\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29747,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-would-god-make-plants-that-are-poisonous-if-he-said-to-adam-and-eve-they-could-eat-all-the-plants\/","url_meta":{"origin":67075,"position":2},"title":"Why would God make plants that are poisonous if He said to Adam and Eve they could eat all the plants?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 29, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why would God make plants that are poisonous if He said to Adam and Eve they could eat all the plants (except for the one tree)? Answer: \"And God said, \"See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49691,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-right-to-offer-food-when-teaching-the-gospel\/","url_meta":{"origin":67075,"position":3},"title":"Is it right to offer food when teaching the gospel?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi Jeff, The minister in my congregation proposed something in the area of evangelism to the church which i don't think is scriptural. He said we should go with some food items to give to those we meet whenever we go for house-to-house evangelism. His belief is that it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9123,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-there-medicinal-foods\/","url_meta":{"origin":67075,"position":4},"title":"Are there medicinal foods?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 24, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In my readings and Bible studies, I have seen that there is mention of certain items of food that were to be included in the Passover meal. In particular, I am wondering about 'bitter herbs'. Do you know, or does the Bible clarify, what these herbs were? And why\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":70843,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-animals-were-not-used-for-food-until-after-the-flood-where-did-the-skins-come-for-adam-and-eves-clothing\/","url_meta":{"origin":67075,"position":5},"title":"If animals were not used for food until after the flood, where did the skins come for Adam and Eve’s clothing?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi. I was researching a topic when I came upon your website. Before I ask the question, I just wanted you to know that I am not asking this to discredit the Bible or God. 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