Romans 14:2-3: A REMINDER that we are all different, don’t JUSTIFY, COMPARE, or JUDGE!!
I do not usually use direct bible verses in my blog posts. The bible IS the foundation for most everything I write and teach, but I usually keep out verses so that people who are not bible followers don’t stop reading just because a bible verse is mentioned.
THIS was too good not to share. Holy moly I read this the other morning and it made everything about the way we view others shortcomings and bad habits, very clear.
Do you ever think to yourself, “If that person can do that, I should be able to as well!”
“If that person can have the ice cream in the freezer and resist the temptation, than I can keep it in the freezer too! I do not need to throw it away! HASHTAG WILLPOWER!”
“He seems to be able to handle finances well without help. He can save, invest, and manage his money on his own with no financial advisors, I should be able to as well. Conclusion: I do not need one.”
Or how about kids who say things like…”My friend can get good grades without studying, I don't need to study!”
“My friend can perform well in a game after staying up all night eating nachos and drinking soda, I probably can too!”
"My friends keep their cell phones by them doing homework, I should be able to as well."
“My friend can take have a few shots at a party and control himself and not overdo it, I should be able to as well.”
Man, I could keep going for days. It is amazing to me how much we miss the POINT of this in the moment…
IF you could do it as well, WHY HAVEN’T YOU DONE IT YET?
Why haven’t YOU been able to overcome the bad habit?
"We must start find our critical thinking skills again. We must get back to being good at ANALYZING OUR LIVES AND RESULTS, and then adjusting our course of action."
If something isn't working, what should you do?
- ASSESS
- CORRECT
- REASSESS
We have a bad habit of justifying our actions or inaction by the people around us who are ANOMALIES! Who are EXCEPTIONS to the rules.
Romans 14:2-3 addresses part of this:
2 “One person’s faith (translation for us is “willpower”) allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith (“willpower”) is weak, eats only vegetables.”
Why does the weak faith person eat only vegetables? Because she KNOWS that her metabolism is slower, that she has trouble controlling her portion sizes, and that IN THE PAST she has learned that right now, she cannot eat just one chip.
3 The one who eats [everything] is not to look down on the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat must not criticize or pass judgment on the one who eats [everything], for God has accepted him.
What is God saying here? He is saying that we must BE friends and supporters of the people around us, especially if we claim to be their friends and supporters.
So much good here. SOOOOOO much rich, practical content for us to take from this.
TAKEAWAYS
- 1. Just because one person can get away with something does not mean you can. Do not compare your situation or willpower to anyone else’s but your own
- 2. History repeats itself. LEARN from your past failures to break bad habits. Assess, correct, reassess.
- 3. Encourage people who are trying to make changes in their life. Do not drag them down with temptations or negative remarks.
This is the time of year people are still thinking about making changes. Changes in their attitudes, their actions, their fitness, their health, their nutrition, their relationships.
Our community at PFP is one that SUPPORTS, MOTIVATES, AND ENCOURAGES people to make positive changes in their life, yet never judges those who are not ready.
If you are ready to go, or you have a son or daughter ready to become more self-motivated and disciplined, let us know.
Dedicated to your success,
