"It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything
by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."
Romans 14:22
For years I enjoyed serving in Rotary International. Rotary suggests a Four-Way Test in the things we think, say and do. First, is it the truth? Second, is it fair to all concerned? Third, will it build goodwill and better friendships? Fourth, will it be beneficial to all concerned? Those are good questions to ask in all of our inter-personal relationships. The fourth question is like unto what the apostle Paul was teaching in Romans 14:22. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Or, Paul put it this way, will it cause your brother to stumble, be offended or made weak? The Christian life always considers others.
In making decisions in life, it's not just about what's best for me. Rather, how will my decision affect the lives of others? Selfishness blatantly says, "I don't care what others think or say, it's my life. I'm going to do what I want." Love says, "I don't want to cause someone else to stumble or fall." The end result of selfishness is isolation, loneliness and bitterness. It's a dead-end street, leading nowhere.
As we make decisions in life, we may ask, what's best for me? Better still, let us determine to ask God, how will my decision affect others? "Love . . . does not seek its own" (1 Cor. 13:5). Love is always the will of God, simply because "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Knowing the will of God is not difficult. He who knows God's love knows God's will. Love considers others.
Father, fill us with love for others.
