Romans 14:13-23

Romans 14:13 (ESV)
“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

Obstacle Free

Most of us have experienced the frustration of miscommunication from a leader. Maybe you were told to complete a task, follow a certain procedure, or meet an expectation, only to discover that the person in charge never actually asked for it. We've even seen this scenario played out in movies and television. Someone gets a taste of authority and becomes power-hungry. They start giving orders, making demands, and even threatening consequences, reminding everyone who's in charge! But eventually, the truth comes out. They not only placed unnecessary burdens on others, but the person in charge never gave those instructions in the first place.

This wasn't just something that happened in stories. It was happening in Jesus' day, too. The religious leaders, seen as authorities on God's Law, had developed additional rules and traditions that placed unnecessary burdens on the people. Consider their approach to the Sabbath. What God had established as a day of rest had become surrounded by rigid rules and expectations. Jesus was questioned for healing people on the Sabbath, and His disciples were criticized for picking heads of grain and rubbing them between their hands to eat. These religious leaders had become so focused on enforcing their own interpretations of God's commands that they lost sight of God's original intent. They were placing burdens on people that God had never commanded.

Although the believers in Rome may not have been as legalistic as the Jewish religious leaders, they still faced the temptation to judge one another over differing convictions. Some observed certain practices that others didn't, while others exercised freedoms that some believers weren't comfortable with. But Paul takes it a step further. They were not only to stop judging one another, but also to consider how their own actions might affect someone else's faith. For Paul's audience, this could involve dietary practices or exercising Christian freedom in ways that pressured another believer to act against their conscience. What one believer considered permissible could become a stumbling block for another.

What about us? Could we unintentionally place stumbling blocks in another believer's path through discouraging words, unnecessary criticism, or expectations God never placed on them? Could we exercise our freedoms without considering how they might affect someone else's walk with Christ? As we seek to live according to our convictions unto the Lord, we must remember that our words and actions can either encourage or hinder someone else's faith. Let your interactions be full of grace, and instead of placing obstacles in someone's path, help them continue walking faithfully with Jesus.

Practice This:

Before correcting or questioning another believer over a personal conviction, ask yourself, “Is this something God has commanded, or is it simply something I believe?” Look for an opportunity today to encourage someone in their walk with Christ rather than placing unnecessary expectations on them.

Prayer:

Lord, help me recognize when my words, expectations, or actions might become a stumbling block to someone else's faith. Forgive me for the times I've judged others according to my own convictions rather than extending grace. Help me use the freedom You've given me with love and consideration for others. I want my life to point people toward You, not make it harder for them to follow You. Amen.

Romans 14:14-15 (ESV)
“14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.”

Walk in Love

What does it actually mean to walk in love? Does it mean being nice all the time? Does it mean telling someone you love them every chance you get? Love can be difficult to define because people often express and receive it differently. For some, love looks like making a hot meal or meeting someone's needs. For others, it means giving a thoughtful gift, spending quality time together, or showing up to celebrate someone's accomplishments. Although love can be expressed in different ways, one thing remains consistent: genuine love considers the needs of others.

Jesus demonstrated what it meant to walk in love wherever He went, but His love didn't always look the same. When He spent time with sinners and social outcasts, He extended love by welcoming them, sharing meals, and offering grace and truth. In fact, His willingness to associate with them led some to accuse Him of being a glutton and a drunkard. Yet when Jesus confronted the religious leaders, His love sometimes looked like correction and rebuke. He spoke truth, exposed hypocrisy, and even drove merchants out of the temple when God's house was being misused. Jesus showed us that walking in love doesn't always look the same, but it always seeks what is good for others.

Paul reminds believers that walking in love requires intentionality, especially when our personal freedoms affect someone else's faith. He understood that certain foods weren't unclean in themselves, but he also recognized that another believer might have a different conviction. To love someone means caring about their spiritual well-being, even when it comes at the expense of our own comfort, preferences, or freedoms. Sometimes love means choosing not to do something we have every right to do because of how it might affect someone else. Paul didn't want something as simple as a piece of meat to become a stumbling block or cause spiritual harm to someone for whom Christ died.

Are you walking in love today? What can love look like when fellow believers have different convictions about celebrating holidays, eating certain foods, or enjoying certain beverages? We won't always agree on every secondary issue, but our disagreements shouldn't become opportunities to wound one another or pressure someone to violate their conscience. Walking in love means valuing the person more than the freedom we want to exercise. Before insisting on your rights, consider the person standing beside you. Sometimes the greatest expression of love isn't in what we're free to do, but in what we're willing to give up for someone else.

Practice this:

Think about a personal freedom or conviction you hold that another believer may see differently. Rather than focusing on your right to exercise that freedom, consider how your actions might affect their faith. Look for an opportunity to put someone else's spiritual well-being ahead of your personal preferences.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for loving me and showing me what it means to walk in love. Forgive me for times I've cared more about my rights and preferences than about the people around me. Help me recognize when exercising my freedom might cause another believer to stumble. I want my words and actions to reflect Your love and encourage others in their walk with You. Amen.

Romans 14:16-18 (ESV)
“16So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.”

Focus

What are you focusing on? That's the question a professor asked his class before giving them an unusual assignment. He instructed everyone to hold up their pinky finger, close one eye, and focus on their finger with the other. Then he told them to slowly bring their pinky closer to their open eye without touching it. Once everyone had followed his instructions, he asked, “What do you see?” Nervous laughter filled the classroom as students answered, “My pinky!” The professor then asked them to keep their fingers in place and identify things around the room, like the board, his tie, or the color of their neighbor's shirt. Although everything was still there, the students struggled to see anything beyond their pinkies.

The classroom hadn't changed. The board was still there, the professor still stood in front of them, and their classmates still sat beside them. The problem wasn't that those things had disappeared. Something as small as their pinky had consumed their focus. The same thing can happen in our lives. We can become so consumed by the latest headlines, endless scrolling on our devices, personal disagreements, or even our own preferences that we lose sight of what matters most. Throughout Scripture, we see people become distracted by their circumstances, fears, and religious practices. Sometimes the very things that demand our attention aren't nearly as important as we've made them out to be. When we let those things dominate our focus, we risk losing sight of what God considers most important.

This is exactly what Paul wanted the believers in Rome to understand. They were becoming caught up in disagreements over dietary practices and personal convictions. While those convictions mattered to the individuals holding them, Paul reminded them that the kingdom of God was about something far greater. It wasn't about eating and drinking, but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Their personal convictions weren't meant to become the center of their faith or a source of division within the church. Instead of getting caught up in comparing themselves to others, judging one another, or insisting on their own freedoms, Paul called them to pursue what mattered most in God's kingdom. When righteousness, peace, and joy become our priorities, we begin to see one another and our disagreements through a different lens.

Where's your focus today? Is it on the latest headlines, a group text conversation, something from your past, or even a disagreement with another believer? Whatever has captured your attention, ask yourself whether it helps you pursue what matters most or distracts you from it. Just like those students needed to move their pinkies to see what was right in front of them, sometimes we need to shift our attention to see what God is calling us to pursue. Don't become so consumed by temporary concerns or secondary disagreements that you lose sight of the kingdom of God. Keep your eyes on Jesus, pursue righteousness and peace, and walk in the joy of the Holy Spirit. Don't let something small keep you from seeing something far greater.

Practice this:

Take a moment today to consider what's been consuming your attention. Is it something temporary, a personal disagreement, or a secondary issue that has grown bigger than it should? Identify one distraction you need to set aside and intentionally shift your focus toward pursuing righteousness, promoting peace, and walking in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

Lord, forgive me for the times I've allowed small things to consume my attention and distract me from what matters most. Help me recognize when my priorities have become misplaced. I don't want to become so focused on my circumstances, opinions, or disagreements that I lose sight of Your kingdom. Redirect my attention toward what matters to You, and let righteousness, peace, and joy be evident in how I live and treat others. Amen.

Romans 14:19-21 (ESV)
“19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.”

This is Worth Your Time

At some point in life, we have to decide what's worth our time. The Bible compares our lives to a vapor, and nobody wants to waste the time they've been given. There's an old saying, “Youth is wasted on the young,” and the older we get, the more that saying seems to make sense. As children, we could spend countless hours watching television, playing video games, or simply looking for something to entertain us. But as we get older, time seems to move faster, and the demands on it only increase. Suddenly, spending time with our children, investing in our marriages, building friendships, and continuing to grow become greater priorities. The older we get, the more we recognize just how valuable our time really is. After all, we never know how much of it we have left.

Paul understood that some things simply aren't worth the time and energy we give them. In the preceding verses, he addressed disagreements among believers over differing personal convictions. These disputes weren't worth damaging relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when winning an argument could come at the expense of someone else's faith. Paul reminded them that something as simple as food wasn't worth destroying the work God was doing in another believer's life. Rather than allowing these disagreements to consume their attention, he called them to invest their energy in something far more valuable: pursuing peace and building one another up.

Pursuing peace doesn't mean admitting defeat or agreeing with someone about everything. Sometimes it means choosing not to rehash old arguments or continually finding new ways to convince someone to see things your way. Instead, it means recognizing what unites us and building on that foundation. As believers, we already share the greatest foundation of all: Jesus Christ and His gospel. Why spend so much time trying to build a relationship on the rocky ground of differing personal convictions when we can build on Christ's solid foundation?

The Greek word Paul uses for “pursue” carries the idea of actively chasing after or striving toward something. Pursuing peace isn't a one-time decision or something we simply hope will happen. It requires intentionality, effort, and a willingness to keep working toward it, even when it's difficult. Think about the time and energy you spend trying to win arguments, defend your preferences, or convince others to see things your way. What if you invested that same energy into encouraging, strengthening, and building up your brothers and sisters in Christ? Life is too short to spend it tearing down what God is building up. Of all the things worth pursuing with the time we've been given, peace and others' spiritual growth are worth your time.

Practice this:

Think about a relationship with a fellow believer where differences in personal convictions have caused tension. Instead of revisiting old disagreements or trying to prove your point, look for an opportunity to encourage them and build on what unites you in Christ. Be intentional about pursuing peace rather than simply waiting for it to happen.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for the time You've given me and the relationships You've placed in my life. Forgive me for wasting energy trying to win arguments instead of building others up. Help me recognize what's worth pursuing and when I need to set aside my preferences for someone else's good. I want to be someone who strengthens relationships, pursues peace, and builds upon the work You're doing in others. Amen.

Romans 14:22-23 (ESV)
“22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

God's Children, Not Mine

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with friends, coworkers, or classmates comparing what life was like growing up? Maybe you started talking about your parents' rules, only to discover just how strict or relaxed your household was compared to everyone else's. What was completely normal in one home might have been absolutely forbidden in another! Even though we all live under the same laws of the land, each household has its own set of rules and expectations. And sometimes, those differences can be surprising.

Paul closes Romans 14 by addressing believers who hold different personal convictions. He wasn't telling everyone to conform to the same opinions, preferences, or practices. Instead, he reminded them that their convictions were ultimately a matter of faith and conscience before God. Some believers had the freedom to eat certain foods, while others believed doing so would be wrong. Paul warned that even if something was permissible, a believer shouldn't participate in it while doubting whether it was right before God. Just because someone else had the freedom to do something didn't mean another believer needed to follow their example.

Think back to those conversations about growing up. Our parents established rules for different reasons. Maybe they were influenced by their culture, concerned about our health, or simply following what their own parents had taught them. We didn't always understand their reasoning, and we certainly didn't have to agree with every rule in our friends' homes. In a similar way, we may not understand why another believer holds a particular conviction. We may even disagree with it. But that believer belongs to God, not us. Just as we wouldn't assume we had the authority to tell our friends' parents how to raise their children, we should be careful not to assume authority over another believer's conscience.

That doesn't mean we can't ask questions, have meaningful conversations, or encourage one another to grow in our understanding of Scripture. Those conversations can be valuable when they're rooted in love and humility. But at some point, continuing to argue does more harm than good. Sometimes we need to step away from the disagreement and trust our heavenly Father with His children. He knows their hearts, leads His people through His Word and Spirit, and faithfully corrects and guides them according to His wisdom. Remain faithful to God in your own convictions, extend grace to those who see things differently, and trust Him with what belongs to Him.

Practice This:

Think about a personal conviction you hold that another believer may see differently. Are you giving them the freedom to follow their conscience, or are you trying to convince them to see things your way? This week, be intentional about extending grace to those who hold different convictions. At the same time, don't compromise your own conscience just because someone else has the freedom to do something you're not comfortable with.

Prayer:

Father, You know my heart, and You know the hearts of those around me. Sometimes I struggle to understand why others see things differently, and I can become more concerned with changing their minds than loving them well. Remind me that You are at work in their lives just as You are in mine. I don't have to have every answer or settle every disagreement. I can trust You with the people You love. Keep my heart humble, my conscience sensitive to Your Word, and my faith rooted in You. Amen.