Not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. – Romans 14:7-9
When we who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ choose to live by God’s standards, we’re choosing to see people from God’s point of view. God wants people to come to Him and be reconciled to Him. When we live by His standards, He gives us plenty of room to be different from each other. We are to live by His standards and not judge others by our preferences and opinions.
When my son Jonathan was younger, he used to play on practice squads in the NFL as a fullback. Yet if Jonathan were to have shown up at practice and played like the quarterback or the center or the wide receiver, he would have been kicked off the squad before practice was even over. Jonathan was a fullback, and if he didn’t play like a fullback, the team would suffer.
A football team consists of 11 unique players working together to reach the same goal. The body of Christ is no different. We are each gifted with certain strengths and skills, but unless we intentionally bring these together under the overarching purpose of God, we will continue to run in circles on the field and never cross the goal line together. Living for others means living for God. All win when we advance God’s kingdom together.
