Read
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
Reflect
Frank and Joe were trick-or-treating on Halloween when they came upon a table in front of a house. There was no one at the table, which was covered with wrapped candy bars.
Frank started picking up handfuls of candy bars and putting them in his bag. Joe stayed back and said to his friend, “Frank, shouldn’t we leave some for the other kids?”
“No one’s looking,” Frank responded. “Plus, what’ll they do if they catch us? It’s not like it’s against the law.”
Joe edged forward. He didn’t like the idea of doing something he felt was stealing. But Frank had a point. There wasn’t a sign telling them how many pieces they could take, and nobody was there to stop them. After a short wait, he picked up a couple of handfuls and stuffed them in his sack.
Did Frank sin? Did Joe?
Probably both, although for somewhat different reasons.
Frank may not have broken a written rule, but he knew the candy had been left for all of the children who came by, not for one child to take as much as he wanted. His greed was wrong. But he made matters worse by encouraging Joe to do something Joe sincerely believed was wrong.
Joe also sinned. He believed in his heart that taking the candy that way was stealing, but he went ahead and did it anyway. His conscience was telling him not to do it, and he ignored it.
That’s an important part of what Paul is teaching in today’s scripture.
In Paul’s day, Christians disagreed about whether certain foods were acceptable to eat. Some believers, particularly those who had grown up carefully observing Jewish dietary laws, still believed that certain foods were unclean. Other Christians understood that no food was inherently unclean.
Paul said they shouldn’t judge each other over those differences. But he also warned Christians not to use their freedom in a way that pressured someone else to violate his conscience.
That doesn’t mean our conscience is always right. We can misunderstand things, and our convictions need to be shaped by God’s truth. But if we sincerely believe something is wrong and do it anyway, we’re deliberately choosing to go against what we believe God wants us to do.
And we’re also responsible for the influence we have on other people.
As Christians, it’s not enough to ask whether we’re personally free to do something. We should also ask whether our example or encouragement might pressure someone else to do something they sincerely believe is wrong.
Today, pay special attention to your actions and think about the impact they have on other people. Pray that the Lord will help you choose what is right and encourage others to do the same, rather than becoming a stumbling block that leads either of you toward sin.
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Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
