Accept the one whose faith is weak,
without quarreling over disputable matters.
Romans 14:1 NIV
Christians can be vastly different from one other. Some worship in churches with stained glass windows and pipe organs. Others worship in cinemas and pipe in rock music. Some follow strict orders of service. Others change what they do from week to week. Some maintain particular diets and styles of dress. Others eat and wear whatever they like.
Who is stronger or weaker in faith isn’t the point. What is clear from Romans 14 is that part of loving one another means caring for others’ needs first and not judging others. Caring for one another means that if someone you know is a believer and he has a conviction about not eating meat, then when you invite him to eat at your house, you provide him with a vegetarian option. Don’t give him a hard time. Don’t try to get him to eat as you do. It’s just not that important. Paul put it well in verse 20: “Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.” And you could add to that: “for the sake of clothing, music styles, carpet choice, political persuasion, and so forth.”
Make every effort to speak, act, and be friends to others in such a way as to lead to peace instead of discord. And build others up instead of tearing them down.
God, help me accept others as You accept me. Amen.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2018 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Marian Leslie.