"Don’t cause your brother to stumble…"
“Don’t cause your brother to stumble…” What does that mean? I was talking to a friend yesterday and she was asking me a bunch of questions – questions about why some Christians still party and drink, smoke, party…
I was trying to explain to her that there are some Christians who have never lived a life that we have – being dope fiend, junkies and/or alcoholics or all of the above – so they are able to take a drink or smoke and it doesn’t cause them to want to get drunk, smoke crack and shoot heroin like it would me, her or most other addicts!!! Lol. They can drink socially, like wine with dinner or champagne with brunch… see, someone like me or a lot of other addicts I know – we can’t stop with ONE drink – if I drink I automatically want to shoot coke or smoke crack which in turn makes me want to do heroin. NOT good.
That may not happen right then – I mean, I’ve drank a glass of wine in the past but once I do that it makes it easier for me to do other things and it causes something inside of me (flesh) to rise up and want to take over!!! I’m not trying to be legalistic with this – I DO believe that there is freedom in Christ and everything is permissible for me – but like in 1 Corinthians6:12 – “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.
She said that she’s ‘talked’ (written) back and forth to some Christians on myspace and looked at some of their profiles she was wondering why some of them look like they’re out partying, and some women dress like they’re still trying to get a man or like they were still turning tricks. I just found it interesting – because her friends were over a few weeks ago and they said the same thing while they were looking at some people’s or ministries myspace profiles, saying that IF they became a Christian they wouldn’t want to dress the same way they do now. (She has a lot of stripper/prostitute friends)
In no way am I trying to judge anyone – just trying to get people to think… I just found it so interesting because this friend of mine said that she doesn’t want to hang around Christians who are still drinking and smoking and partying – she can do that where she’s at – and that she wants to hang around people who have overcome that lifestyle – because when she sees other believers still partying it makes her think, “If they still have to do that – what’s the sense of me trying to stop – I might as well give up, because if they can’t stop, there’s NO WAY that I can!!!”
She said that wants to surround herself with people who are walking a victorious life, people who are not out drinking or going to bars – but people who have overcome something and who are living free and are good examples to her. That really made me think and want to strive harder to continue to:
Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
She said that she has some Christian friends that aren’t like us (addicts) – but that they have decided not to drink because they do not want to make other believers, especially new believers – think that “if they can do it (drink, smoke, etc.) then so can I” – when in fact maybe some CAN’T. (Like me!!!)
Romans 14:13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Just something to think about…
