Treat Them Gently

ByJim Stephens

Reading: Romans 14; Psalm 83

1 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.

4 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.

9 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.

12 You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. 13 Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is.

19 So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; 20 don’t drag them down by finding fault.

22 Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. 23 But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.  (Romans 14 MSG)

I read and re-read this chapter today. These words fill me with a longing to rise above petty differences and disagreements. I want to be part of a family of God, a body of Christ, that is united in Christ and wonderfully, delightfully, frustratingly different in its parts, its expressions, and its appearance. Do you ever feel this way?

Prayer:

Father, This resonates with me at the very deepest level. I believe this with all my heart. I want to live this truth as strongly as I believe it. What do I need to do to allow that to happen? Please help me live it. Change and grow me as required. Amen.