Can Right Be Wrong?
CAN RIGHT BE WRONG?
Read 1 Corinthians 8:8-13.
Darrell burst into the room. “Mom, guess what happened at Bible club!” he exclaimed. “Troy accepted Jesus as his Savior!”
“How wonderful!” Darrell’s mother responded. “I’m happy Troy’s a Christian, but I’m afraid he won’t get much encouragement at home.”
“I’ll help Troy,” Darrell said eagerly.
A few weeks later, Darrell wasn’t so sure about that. “I asked Troy to go with me to Don’s house to play pool,” he grumbled, “but you know what he said? He said, ‘Darrell, I thought you were a Christian!’ Then he walked away! What’s wrong with playing pool?”
Darrell’s mother was thoughtful. “Maybe Troy’s father plays a lot of pool in the bars, so Troy associates playing pool with drinking, wasting money, and being away from home too much—things his dad does. Troy probably doesn’t understand that a quiet game of pool in somebody’s basement can be okay. Darrell, I think you ought to stay away from playing pool so you’re not a stumbling block to Troy.”
“I don’t see why I shouldn’t play,” objected Darrell.
His mother thought for a moment. “Troy’s a baby Christian. Seeing you do something he considers wrong might hurt him spiritually. Joining you might lead him to play pool in the wrong place. As he grows in his Christian life, he’ll learn how to handle his actions. But right now, pool playing is a problem for him.”
Darrell nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, Mom. I’ll try.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are there things you think are okay to do but which bother other people? Remember, a Christian’s actions influence others. Do your activities draw people to Christ or turn them away? Refuse to be a “stumbling block.”
TO MEMORIZE:
You must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.
1 Corinthians 8:9
DON’T BE A STUMBLING BLOCK.
From the book
