A Generous Spirit

Romans 14:1-12

Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. (Romans 14:4)

THERE HAVE BEEN ERAS WHEN the most dedicated Christians considered any participation or interest in sports as acceptance of an entire host of ungodly influences: gambling, drinking, materialism, pride, and more. There have been times when the church outlawed any interest on a loan as usury. And there are places in the world today where cosmetics are scandalous among Christians because they hint at immorality. In other words, what is commonly accepted in one place or time may be forbidden in another; what for one person is a passion may be to another person an idol. Though all true believers are born of the same Spirit, we have had widely differing views on cultural practices and have lived out our faith in different ways.

Does morality change across continents or times? Of course not. But our perceptions of morality do. We have a hard time drawing clear lines between outward direction and inward conviction, or cultural norms and spiritual compromise. The picture gets more complicated when we realize that God deals with his children individually, addressing what might be a deep heart issue in one person and a peripheral distraction in another. His priorities for his children are not uniform; he knows what each of us needs to work on and in which order we need to do it. Those of us who like evenly applied principles become poor judges of the behavior of others.

That’s why we are told not to judge. God and Scripture urge us to have a generous spirit toward other believers, and our attitude toward non-Christians should be even more generous. The world is full of critical people; we are not to be among them. We have been invited into a culture of grace, and we are called to extend it to others.

{Father, you have demonstrated a generous heart toward me; my path into your arms has been filled with many misperceptions and mistakes. Thank you for your grace. Fill my heart with the same generosity toward those around me. Amen.