Who is Welcome, Really ?

Rom 14:13 

"Let us therefore no longer pass judgement on one another, but resolve

instead never to put a stumbling-block or hindrance in the way of another."

This post is by my friend and GUEST BLOGGER: Dr. Melissa Stebbins, Chemist, Bible Student, Wife, Mother.

Paul spends a fair amount of his word count railing against the Jews for putting burdens on Gentile Christians. Itʼs not hard to feel some sympathy for the Jews though. They were used to being culturally separate, had their own customs and then they are suddenly having to eat and share their lives with people who are different. People who didnʼt share the kind of common heritage that makes living in community a little bit easier.

Now, letʼs move that situation into a modern day context. Many of us have certain expectations of what a Christian looks like. Are we prepared to welcome into the church family people who arenʼt like us? If we do, that might mean thereʼs going to be people who come and tell dirty jokes, leave their cigarette butts at the door, swear, raise their hands when singing, keep their hands in their pockets, talk too much, talk too loudly, fall asleep in the sermon, maybe they smell funny, read the KJV, read The Message, leave the dirty dishes, want the music loud, donʼt want music at all, talk about things that make you uncomfortable, donʼt talk at all, put their feet on the furniture, stay all night, turn up late,argue, bicker, barrack for Carlton ...

I must admit Iʼm selfish. I donʼt like being uncomfortable, itʼs easier to be around people that are like me, that conform to the same social norms, that are interested in similar things. At the same time Iʼd hate to be the person who put a stumbling block in the way of someone knowing Jesus, in fact I want to be the person who kicks the needless stumbling blocks out of the way.

Some things to remember:

• No one needs to clean themselves up before they sit down at the table.
• Weʼre not called to make people like us, but to make people like Jesus - many of our differences are just not that important.
• Jesus' priorities are different to ours - we need to be aware that sometimes what we think is best is really just a reflection of our own interests.
• We may need to give up something that we personally value to serve the interests of others.
• We need each other - each part of the body has a part to play.

Questions

• Have you put a stumbling block in the way of someone following Jesus? If so is there anyway you could make that right?
• How can you make others feel more welcome?

Visit Melissa's Blog: Remember to Breathe. Thanks for the Guest Post!

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