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For The Sake of Another

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. – 1 Corinthians 8:13

Ready to become a vegetarian? That’s not really the point but I bet it got your attention! Paul was explaining to the church in Corinth that while there are certainly things all of us have the freedom to do; within the community of believers it’s important to be aware that there are consequences to exercising that freedom.

For Paul it was the freedom to eat any food even those things identified as a possible stumbling block to new believers who had come out of the local religions into a relationship with Christ. Just before declaring the verse above Paul made a very strong case that, as Christians, what we eat doesn’t matter one way or another before God. However, before people there are behaviors that can cause others in the community of believers to ‘stumble’. Aware of this and concerned for the wellbeing of everyone in the community, Paul was willing to forego those things that might harm the faith of others.

How about you? Can you hold loosely the freedom that comes by God’s grace through Jesus Christ? Do you believe with all your heart what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:23, "We are allowed to do all things?" Then we must also listen to the rest…but not all things are good for us to do. "We are allowed to do all things," but not all things help others grow stronger. Do not look out only for yourselves. Look out for the good of others also.

Consider today what you would be willing to give up completely for the sake of the community of believers. Perhaps God has already been working on something in your life you are certainly free to do but should stop doing for the sake of another. Sometimes life in community can be hard!

Prayer
Lord, I thank and praise you for the precious freedom won for me by Jesus on the cross. May my exercise of that freedom never cause another in the family of faith to falter. Grant me strength to practice restraint for the sake of others. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.