Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who considers it unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be slandered. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong to make someone stumble by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. Hold the conviction that you have as your own before God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat because they do not act from faith, for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. (Romans 14:13—15:2, NRSVue)
Everything was and is created by God, and according to the creation story in the Hebrew Scripture, it is good. God created everything, and that creation is good. Humanity steps in and takes the good creation to extremes and makes it something that it should not be, and takes good creation and makes it sinful. Taken to extremes, good things can be bad.
We should not allow good things to become bad, or use things to make people do things outside of what God created them to do. Do not be a stumbling block for others, but also do not say that everyone else has to be just like you and do exactly what you do. Everything is good, but do not be a cause for others to question God’s love.
Build each other up and be a positive force for love in the world.
aSacredRebel 