Scripture - Rom. 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
Observation - in the Roman church, there was a significant number of Jewish and Gentile believers mixed together. Their upbringings were different. Jews lived in submission to the Old Testament laws regarding food. The Gentiles did not. After committing their lives to Jesus, living together as believers was difficult because of the different approaches to food. Paul emphasizes that honoring one another's convictions in the matter is just as important has having personal convictions.
Application - At times, petty, non-eternal things are allowed to become big issues in the church, to the point of destroying what God is doing in lives. It's easy to see a conflict, take sides, and then fight the battle for what we feel is right until someone is crushed and defeated. Too often we forge the situation is petty, and people are eternal. Paul admonishes us to do what edifies others and fight for peace! We are instructed to not allow the work of God to be destroyed by __________________________ (fill in the blank here.) Too often arguments over music styles, hymnals, pews or chairs, pre mid or post-trib have divided people and caused church splits. Then God is handcuffed. Then the world is doesn't know us by our love, but rather by our hate. Then the Spirit is quenched. Then some of heaven's reservations get cancelled and people lose out. Over what? A hymnal? Paul said to move on. Great advice!
Prayer - Lord, help me not to get sucked into petty arguments and fights that do not matter. Help me to be a peacemaker in those situations and edify those around me.
