Accepting the Weak

Romans 14:1

“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.”

There was a skit I remember that Saturday Night Live used to play. It was called the “The Computer Guy.” Normal office workers would be working and their computer needed fixing. They would try to fix it but could not. The computer guy would come in wanting to help. This ‘helper’ would quickly just say, “MOVE!!” This would happen over and over again until the workers said, “I really don’t like that guy.” Funny, because all of us can relate to someone who is not very accepting or compassionate especially when it comes from the computer guy.

Paul, in chapter 14, starts off with a phrase that all of us should really stop and think about, “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” He goes on to drive home the point that as Christians we should not judge so quickly, which can get us into trouble. There must have been a nasty fight going on between the Roman converts to Jesus and the Jews that lived in Rome over what to eat. The fighting goes like this, “I am not going over to his house because they serve pork and that is against God!” Or the other way, “I am not going over to their house because they are so strict on what to eat it drives me crazy!”

I don’t think we have a huge fight over holy things to eat now days, but we sure seem to turn the things of God into a legalism battle that drives a wedge between people. In verse 17 Paul says that, “the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.” He goes on to say in verse 19 that we all should make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

How often do your conversations that about Christ and the church turn into a battle? If you can look back at the history of your conversations with other people, your family, your wife or husband, or friends, and the result seems to always end in a nasty argument then you need to rethink the way you interact with those people. Christ does not need a lawyer, He wants a heart after Him. Too often we spend our time teeing up concepts of God and trying to prove that we are right. Verse 19 says that we should make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. In other words asking ourselves if the conversation resulted in both of us being improved and strengthened or have we taken every effort to tear our partner or friend apart to prove we are right. God does not need your help in converting someone. In fact, only He can truly convert or save anyone and all we can do is pray the the Holy Spirit will do a work in their life. How can we be ambassadors for Christ when we are not pleasant to be around? Don’t let the petty things be a stumbling block to everyone around you.