The Danger of Criticism
Read this passage and apply it accordingly. Which verse is hard for you to handle? (I bet it’s 22.)
Romans 14 (New Living Translation)
1 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.
5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.
10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11 For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.t’”
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
14 I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
20 Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. 22 You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
Good things happen
There are times in everyone’s life when good things happen to them.
Finding the love of your life.
Experiencing the joy of adopting a child.
Being spared from an accident.
Getting a (better) job.
The cancer goes away.
You get my point. Fill in the blank. Yes, bad things happen. But good things happen, too.
I actually find it much easier to deal with bad things happening to me than good things. Of course, I like it much better when good things happen. But I am not a good person.
I am prideful.
I get angry at the dog (among other things).
I often put myself before others.
The list could continue. Just suffice it to say that I’m not a good person. Which is why it is so difficult for me to understand why good things happen to me. And without God, there is no explanation. I don’t deserve for good things to happen to me. I just don’t. But God is everything that is good. His nature is good. And because he is good, and I have been created by him and for him, I get to experience some of that good.
We have certainly been through tough times. We’ve dealt with cancer, childlessness, financial strains, and other things that you may have faced as well. But it was during one of those times that a friend reminded me of what Jesus said:
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11, NIV)
Now as a father, I more fully understand this passage. I would never intentionally do harm to my children. I would actually give them anything I could that would be good for them. And I know how sinful I am. So God as my Father wants to give me more than that! (Notice that you must ask.)
I don’t deserve it, but I relish in the truth that I am God’s child and that he not only wants good things to happen for me. He causes them to happen.
