The kingdom of heaven is not about…

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. – Romans 14.14-18

We often get confused with what the kingdom of God is all about. We might think it is all about the externals. Some groups think that if we set up enough rules and regulations and standards about what we can eat or drink or wear or watch or listen to or where we can go or whatever we are spiritual. Then, if we hold others to our rules, that must surely be helping them to grow.

However, I think there is more to the stumbling block than just doing something to offend. I think we can create a stumbling block by creating theses unnecessary complications. We make up rules and when people can't meet them they just give up and say 'what's the use?'

That kind of emphasis can, and often is destructive.

That’s why we read ‘but the kingdom of God is not about eating or drinking (or any other kind of abiblical man imposed externals).

The kingdom of God is about righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Why then do we tend to focus so much on the externals? Why do we focus on what people eat or drink or wear or where the go or not go or anything else like that?

At the root of it all I think that happens when we don’t think the word of God is sufficient. We know how people should live and if the Bible doesn’t make it clear enough we’ll just tell them how to live.

And we cause them to stumble.

Oh that I could be the acceptable servant that seeks righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Lord, remind me of the right focus so I never cause my brother to stumble.