Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
—Romans 14:13
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, you and I have been given a tremendous gift: the forgiveness of all our sins. And that gift makes us deeply indebted people, not in a way that earns our salvation, but in a way that ought to shape how we live toward others. One of the ways that debt shows up is here: we have a responsibility not to do anything that would cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble.
Paul says, “let us not pass judgment on one another any longer.” There’s a kind of person who loves to sit as judge over everyone else’s choices, faults, and failures. Maybe you’ve met that spirit, maybe you’ve felt it rise up in yourself. Paul says it’s time to lay it down. We answer to God for our own lives, not to one another over matters of conscience. So, step one is to stop the judging.
But step two is the heart of the verse: “decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” This isn’t legalism or a new list of rules. It’s something deeper: that we look carefully at our own lives and make sure we’re not doing or saying anything that could trip up a fellow believer in their walk with Christ.
Here’s why this matters so much. Not everyone in the body of Christ is at the same point of maturity. Some believers are young in the faith, still tender, still easily influenced by the example of others. The mature believer may have freedom in a certain area, but a weaker brother watching may not. And the Bible doesn’t tell us to disregard that weaker brother. It tells us to be careful for his sake.
This is where love rises above liberty. You may have every right to do a certain thing. But love asks a higher question than “What are my rights?” Love asks, “How will this affect my brother?” And love is willing to lay down a personal freedom for the sake of someone else’s soul. That’s not weakness; that’s the very heart of Christ, who laid down far more than His rights for us.
So, I want to challenge you today to examine your life with this question in mind: is there anything I do that might cause another brother or sister to stumble? It’s not always a comfortable question, but it’s a vital one. As a follower of Christ, you owe a debt of love that says you will “pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”
Stop judging. Start building up. And let love, not merely your rights, govern the choices you make in front of a watching family of faith.
STOP JUDGING ONE ANOTHER AND DON’T BECOME A STUMBLING BLOCK, LET LOVE, NOT MERELY YOUR RIGHTS, GOVERN YOUR CHOICES.
