Bible Reading: Romans 14:1-13, 19-23

The sound of the lawn mower next door cut through the quiet of a lazy Sunday afternoon as Daphne and her mother worked on a fresh flower arrangement. “I’m glad the Bakers moved in next door,” said Mom. “It’s nice having Christian neighbors, isn’t it?”

Daphne handed Mom two red roses, being careful not to prick herself on the thorns. “Yeah, but–” She hesitated. “I know they go to church, but they mow the lawn almost every Sunday. Dad always says we have to get it done on Saturday so we don’t have to work on Sunday. He says we should keep the Lord’s Day holy.” She frowned. “Maybe the Bakers aren’t really Christians at all.”

Mom added the roses to the bouquet. “Let’s think about that. What makes someone a Christian?”

“Trusting Jesus as their Savior,” said Daphne. “But–” She paused.

“When the Bakers came to church with us, they told us the story of how they each came to know Jesus as their Savior, remember?” said Mom.

Daphne trimmed the stem of another flower. “Well, yeah…”

“Dad and I believe that the things we do on Sunday are what’s right for our family, and there may be other things that we do but the Bakers wouldn’t.” Mom held up the bouquet. “Each flower is different. This yellow one is such a pretty color. This pink one next to it isn’t quite as bright, but it makes the whole bouquet smell good.” Mom took out a rose. “Then there’s the rose. It has thorns, but that doesn’t mean we throw it out. It’s actually my favorite–it’s so beautiful and fragrant!” She replaced the rose. “These flowers each bring something unique to the bouquet, and the same goes for believers who belong to Jesus. We may not agree on everything, but we still recognize that anyone who loves Jesus and trusts in Him is a Christian.”

Daphne nodded slowly. “I guess the Bible doesn’t say exactly what we should or shouldn’t do on Sunday, does it?”

“No,” said Mom. “When it comes to topics that the Bible is unclear about, we need to trust that the Holy Spirit is working uniquely in everybody. But one thing the Bible is very clear about is not judging Christians who do things differently than we do. We need to love them and let God be the judge.”

–A.J. Schut

How About You?
Do you know Christians who do things differently from how you do them? While the Bible says certain things are definitely right or wrong, there aren’t clear guidelines on everything. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom in each situation, and your family and church community can help you make decisions in these areas too. Trust God to help you make wise decisions and show grace and love to all believers.

Today’s Key Verse:
Why do you judge your brother or sister?…For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. (NIV) (Romans 14:10)

Today’s Key Thought:
Don’t judge other Christians