We Effect Each Other

Today’s reading: Romans 14

“While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord.” - Romans 14:8

The epitome of naivety is found in thinking that the way we live our lives has little or no effect on anyone else. The best life God wants us to live doesn’t act like our lives don’t have an effect on others. There is a ripple effect that happens with each decision we make.

So the idea of “let me live my life, and I’ll let you live yours” is an illusion.

Ultimately we live our lives to please Jesus, but we also are considerate of others in order to fully please our Lord.

Romans 14 walks the line of...

1) not wanting to try and control each other’s behavior, and 2) not wanting to act like their (and our own) behavior doesn’t matter.

Jesus expects for every action we make to be made in faith (14:23).

“Because Paul is concerned about those weak in faith (14:1), the doubters (14:23), he advises the “strong” not only to avoid terminally tripping them up in their faith (14:13) but to actively support them (15:1).” - C.S. Keener