Today was one of those days that God spoke to me through
something very simple but it was so great that I really wanted to share it with
you guys.
Anyone who knows me knows I cannot handle caffeine. I love
drinking coffee but I always get decaf. This morning at work someone brewed a
fresh pot of (caffeinated) coffee and despite my better judgment I decided to
make myself a cup. It.was.delicious. About 20 minutes after I finished it I started
getting fidgety. My hands were shaking on the keyboard, my heart was beating
like I had just run a marathon…I felt like running a marathon. The girl I share
an office with asked me for a piece of paper and I jumped up and threw it over
the divider before she finished her question. It was at this point that I said
to myself “ah, caffeine we meet again”.
Romans 14 says:
14 As
for myself, I am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that there
is nothing really wrong with eating meat that has been offered to idols. But if
someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is
wrong. 15 And if your brother is bothered by what you eat, you
are not acting in love if you go ahead and eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin
someone for whom Christ died. 16 Don’t do anything that will
cause criticism against yourself even though you know that what you do is
right.
You see, I know better than to drink caffeine. Before I had
it this morning a little voice in my head was telling me it wasn’t a good idea
and that if I chose to drink it, there would be consequences. BUT just because I cannot handle caffeine does
not mean other people can’t have it. If it’s bad for me I should not drink
it, but just because I don’t drink it, does not mean I am free to judge those
who do. They probably don't go crazy hanging from the ceilings after half a cup!
Obviously this spoke to me on a deeper level than just
having caffeine. Sometimes as believers, we feel convicted by certain things
and therefore, we do not do them. When we see other people doing those things
we start to judge them on the scale of things WE see as wrong. God tells us not
to judge. HE is the only righteous judge! What we see is on the outside but God
sees the heart! Unfortunately so many lost people who finally decide to seek
the Lord are completely repulsed and turn away from him because of the judgment
that is cast on them as soon as they walk through the church doors!
Now here comes the hard part. Sometimes, even if what we are
doing is ok (for example having a glass of wine), it can cause another believer
to stumble. Say you have a friend who used to be an alcoholic. God has pulled
them out of that and they are solely focused on pursuing him now! Amen! They
come over to your apartment for dinner one night and you offer them a glass of
wine. They decline because that used to be a stronghold for them. You have two
options:
1. You have a glass of wine. What you are doing is totally acceptable, you are having one glass which is not enough to get you drunk.
2. Because you know your friend has been a slave to alcohol, you decide while he is over you will not drink.
1. You have a glass of wine. What you are doing is totally acceptable, you are having one glass which is not enough to get you drunk.
2. Because you know your friend has been a slave to alcohol, you decide while he is over you will not drink.
Paul is saying because you love your brother (friend), help
him, encourage him, don’t cause him to stumble even though what you’re doing is
ok! By not having that glass of wine, you are showing your friend that you love
and support them. You are putting him, before yourself! I love the way the Message version of this verse is worded, "Looking at it one way, you could say, “Anything goes. Because of God’s immense generosity and grace, we don’t have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster.” But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well." (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)
Amen, right!!
Amen, right!!
So, to recap…if it’s wrong to you, don’t do it. If you see
others doing it, don’t judge them, it may not be something they are convicted
of. If what they are doing is wrong, God will gently turn them in the right
direction and put accountability in their lives to make sure they stay on the
right track! Our job as Christians is to love others unconditionally, the way
Christ does (John 13:35). And finally, if you know someone is struggling with
something, don’t do it around them. Not because you have to abstain, but because you love them and want to see them
succeed! I strongly encourage you guys to read through the whole chapter of
Romans 14. It will take about 5 minutes and I promise, you won't regret it!
Just remember, no matter what season of life you are in, God loves you. As long as you are living, it is not too late to surrender your life to Him.
With Love,
Arlin
With Love,
Arlin
