Thursday 22 Nov 2018

November 22: Romans 14:19-23

Key Verse: Romans 14:20
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.

Devotion:
Isn’t it amazing how quickly we will give in to things when we are hungry or thirsty? But it is not just those physical extremes which encourage us to give in but all the social extremes in our lives too. When we see someone enjoying themselves without us, we tend to overlook the bad things which may be happening and join in so we can enjoy ourselves too. When we see something that looks like fun, we will not give too much consideration to those around who may be offended by what we are about to do because of the enjoyment we will gain. Our eyes become as those of a blinkered horse who does not see the obstructions to the side or the fact they are obstructing things on either side...

Being aware of the people around you should be a quality you are proud of and not an annoyance you want to ignore. Being aware of our surroundings and catering for the feelings of those around us will work towards peace and love of our neighbours. We should not ignore the small things which may well cause arguments and break down the bridges we are trying to build with those around us. We need those bridges so we can continue to show them just how much God means to us and how much He cares for us.

We cannot encourage each other by arguing with one another; it is much better to deny yourself something than to know that it is about to offend someone. If we are giving in to fleshly lusts in this manner, be it food and drink or any other minor want, we are saying to God those are more important than His will in our lives. Nothing is more likely to destroy a soul than to cause offence through giving in to your own personal lusts; that will be seen as a wilful offence by others. If we are in doubt over whether something will cause offense, then we should not go there until we know that it will not cause offense. We need to make sure doing God’s will comes first because His will is the perfect direction for us to be going in…

Points to Ponder:
How aware are you of other people’s feelings?

How high a regard does God’s will get in your life?