14 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. ² For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. ³ Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. ⁴ Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

⁵ In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. ⁶ Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. ⁷ For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. ⁸ If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

¹⁰ So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For the Scriptures say,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
    and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”

¹² Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. ¹³ So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Romans 14:1-13

Dear God, when I read this passage this morning, I immediately thought of different controversies in the American church right now. On a spectrum of “Christian Nationalism” to “LGBTQ” issues, it seems there are lots of things that divide us within the American Christian church. And that’s the plan right? That’s Satan’s plan: to divide us. It happens in our families, in our places of work, in our churches, in our communities, and in our country–not to mention nations from each other. Divide, divide, divide.

And this little statement from Paul is interesting because it’s hard to know where to draw the line. I actually think it’s gotten easier to me over the years to accept people where they are. To love them despite our disagreements on issues. I’m also slowly getting better at forgiveness and loving through hurt done to me. On a spectrum, I still have a long way to go, but I’m closer to my life being worth nothing to me today than I was even yesterday. I can feel you using the different pressures of life to form me into something completely new. And it’s hard. It really is. But I can feel the good from it as well.

I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 4 where it says, “⁸ We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹ We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” Now, to be clear, I don’t even begin to know the kind of suffering Paul is talking about here for Christians at the time. But for the level of suffering I’ve experienced and am currently going through, I can feel your strength underpinning me as I lean into you.

Father, I have all kinds of thoughts swirling in my head. Some of them are constructive and some aren’t. I pray that you will use the pain of the current situations I see and redeem them to make something even more beautiful than I could have imagined. Be glorified in everything. Help me to know how to love others through their weaknesses and teach others through me how to love their neighbor through their weaknesses. Be very present today, Father. And help me to know where to draw the line between what Paul teaches in chapter 14 and then kinds of lines he draws at the end of chapter 13. It’s all complicated, and I’m sure you look at the world and lament over divisions between us the way I am lamenting over divisions now.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen