Living to Please God Above Anyone Else (Romans 14)

Evening Scripture

Romans, Chapter 14

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgement on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgement on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also, those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.

So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is well-pleasing to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual edification.

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Evening Reflection

It is so easy to live our lives in a spirit of competition. The world tempts us into viewing other people as peers we need to judge our accomplishments by, or rivals we need to best. When others look at us in admiration, or speak well of our lives, our deeds, or our faith, we view ourselves positively. We feel upheld and supported.

But what happens when others don’t speak well of us? What occurs when we are on the receiving end of criticism, complaint, or challenge? Often, our esteem comes crashing down. It’s not that we feel bad or angry, we de-value ourselves. We feel rejected and dismissed – and if this happens often, then this becomes the narrative that controls our lives.

Romans 14 reminds us of an invaluable truth. We don’t live for ourselves – for the maximization of our accomplishments, credentials, or power. Nor do we live for others, to be seen in a positive light, to be spoken well of, to be admired or adored. We live for Christ Jesus. His delight is all we seek; His voice, spoken over our lives, is the only thing that matters.

And what does Jesus speak over us? The one who serves Christ is well-pleasing and blessed. We are wrapped in Christ’s gracious arms, inheritors of the Kingdom. This is the truth of our lives. None of our accomplishments merit it, none of our misdeeds discredit it. This declaration is spoken by God over us, and it is proved unalterable in Christ’s blood.

As you enter your time of rest tonight, allow your reflections to center on this truth. You are the beloved child of God. You are redeemed in Christ’s precious blood. You are well pleasing in his sight and blessed. Living your life from this truth is what pleases him the most.

Evening Prayer

Gracious Jesus,

I thank you for your steadfast love, for it is a love that sticks with me no matter what my life looks like in this moment. In times of great accomplishment and personal happiness, your love is there; in times of disappointment, loss, grief, and sin, even there your love is expressed to me.

Lord, you know I can be tempted to live for the approval of the crowds around me; I can listen to the voice of the world more than I listen to your gentle voice of grace and mercy. And when I do, I not only lose touch with you, but I also lose touch with the truth of my life. Help me to keep listening to you oh Lord. Give me discernment in all my dealings. Help me live for you and you alone.

This I pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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