Romans 14-15

When our foster son was first placed with us he had some crazy hair. It was just awful. I found myself fixating on it and I would ask his mom every time I saw her if we could cut it. She kept saying no and my frustration grew. But as I was driving home one day from one of his visits with her I felt the Spirit warning me, "Don't make his HAIR the issue here. Don't make this a big deal. This is not what you should be focusing on."

But I HATED his hair.

Anyway, I think it's easy to get fixated on things that are not that important and specifically things that are not rooted in the commands of God. What Paul is saying in Romans 14 is, "look guys, it isn't wrong for people to eat or not eat certain things, or to value one day over the next, but it IS wrong to sit in judgment over one another." There were bigger issues at stake than these things people were fixating on and when they judged others for their actions (which God did NOT judge) they showed their lack of understanding.

So what is really going on when we {unjustly} judge a sibling in Christ? What really happens when we drive that wedge between ourselves and someone else? Let God's word lay down some truth for us:

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,  that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Ro. 15:5-7)

What happens is our ability to glorify God with ONE voice in unity is compromised. That's kind of a big deal.