Honoring and Giving Thanks to God

The People of God Set Priorities
Living as a Community of Believers
Love Builds Up

Romans 14:1-9 The Message

Cultivating Good Relationships

14 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

^2-4 For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
⁵ Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
^6-9 What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

For Reflection

In diversity there is strength.  In diversity there is weakness.  How can both statements be true?   As Paul has put it, in the body of the church there are many parts, each with its primary function in the body of the whole.  Working together the church is a powerful force in realizing the Kingdom of  God.  Working at odds to each other the various factions become cancerous sores, rotting the body and thwarting the progress toward the Kingdom.

The problem lies not in the diversity, but rather, in those who cannot accept the differences and fail to realize that God invited all to God's feast.  In God, Paul explains, each person is free to follow his or her convictions of conscience.  Each plays an equal role in God's plan.  With God as our master, we are freed from the petty tyrannies of being different from each other.

Pray

Kneel before God.  Pray prayers of confession, repentance, obedience, praise and thanksgiving.  Pray to be free to accept the differences among the faithful.  Pray that you will defend the right of free choice to follow God's will.  Pray that God will use your life in service to the Kingdom.