Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.  Romans 14:13

My wife recently was reading a book called The Know It All. As I understand the theme of the book it is about a fellow who read through the Encyclopedia Britannica. For most this is boring reading and most of us would only do it in research for some school project.

This man was a “Know it all” on almost any subject. I have heard people referred to as “having just enough knowledge to be dangerous”. Maybe this is what Paul is referencing in Romans 14. There have always been people who make up their minds what others should do and how they should do it and attempt to get them to get on with it.

The Message is pretty forceful when this verse is translated, “Forget about deciding what’s right for each other”. I have the annoying habit of deciding what is right for others and attempting to get them to fall in line. It may even be what is right but God never commissioned me to decide for others. If a person wanted to celebrate a certain day, that’s between him and God. We are not to make these judgments for others. Back off brother James! Verse 6 says, “He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.”

Trusting others to make good decision about questionable things is part of maturing in Christ. Some have never reached this maturity but need to move off the plateau on which they have parked. God is the judge and we are never to broach His domain. Let God be the one who leads and guides. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”