Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
I feel like our 4 kids could match up to any 4 kids raised by Christian parents in the world. I know I am a little biased, but I think my wife and I did a great job raising these kids. I'm pretty sure our kids think that they turned out pretty wonderful, also, and that's why it never ceases to amaze me, as they raise their 11 kids, that they don't do it exactly like we did. Obviously, they think, with their insider information, that they know better than us! One thing that we have learned is not to tell them where they are deviating from our way and where they are going wrong. Oh boy, that does not go over well. The interesting thing, the older I get and can observe the outcomes of parenting techniques or say schooling choices that I was sure were the best and only way to get the optimal outcomes, may not be the only way. There may be other legitimate schools of thought that work.
Paul is kind of saying the same thing here - God is raising children. Our spiritual progression from baby to adulthood, although the older I get I wonder if I'll ever reach spiritual adulthood, has been overseen by a loving parent who is determined to see us stand on our own two feet and reach maturity. The interesting thing about God is that he isn't bound to a singular parenting style - he individualizes it. Imagine if we decided everyone goes to bed at 9 except one child, who functions better on less sleep, gets to stay up till 11. Pandemonium would have ensued! "That's not fair!" "Why does he get to stay up and we don't!" God isn't bound to that. He raises everyone as He sees fit.
There is the rub because we as Children of God see other children being raised in different manners with different rules and we don't get it. But God is individualizing because He knows what it's going to take to bring that person to maturity. The problem is that there is a difference between parenting rules regarding bedtime and parenting rules regarding letting their kids drive without a license. One is a matter of opinion, and one is wrong and we may be obligated to step in and say something. This is the problem that we find ourselves with in the body. We are obligated to step in when we see going off the path into sin, but we just need to know and be sure of where the line has been crossed from not doing and seeing things our way to legitimately getting off the unique plan God has for them.
This isn't easy and takes much wisdom and Paul is going to give us some more pointers throughout the rest of this passage. The takeaway today? God isn't interested in producing your clone. Give Him and your brother and sister freedom to grow in a different way than you did.
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