Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Romans 14:1-4

Ever disagree with something unimportant?

In 1998 the Minnesota Vikings were a league best 15-1, something done only by three teams in history up until that point. While the team was not perfect, their kicker was. Gary Anderson had not missed a kick all season long. At the end of the NFC Championship game that year, only one last kick was needed to send the Vikings to a Super Bowl. I remember it like it was yesterday, wide left. The Falcons went on to win in overtime. Myself and many other Vikings fans were left in a puddle of tears. I distinctly remember arguments breaking out in church the very next day between those who loved and those who hated the Vikings. As silly as that seems, we’ve all gone overboard on things that ultimately do not matter.

Paul calls these disagreements over “disputable matters.” And these come in all forms, shapes, and sizes. In Paul’s case, he’s addressing the issue of food. Some Jews would not eat meat for religious reasons, and others had a beef with that. Pun intended. But the point is obvious: God is the judge. There are indisputable matters we are all well aware of that the Bible speaks plainly to. Our allegiance should be to each other in Christ, not to a tradition or sports team. Use caution when it is a gray area, be firm when God speaks clearly to the topic, and in both cases, seek to build your brother up.

DO THIS TODAY: Focus on the indisputable matters of your faith.