How can I keep from offending others?

Psalm 69:6Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me [David], O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated.

Romans 14:13So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Galatians 5:22-24The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

1 John 2:10Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.

Loving other people with Christ’s love and allowing the Holy Spirit to control our lives will help keep us from offending others in ways that cause them to stumble.

Romans 14:15, 19-23If another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. . . . So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. . . . .if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Romans 15:1-2We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 8:4-13So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live. However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

1 Corinthians 10:25-33So you may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace without raising questions of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” If someone who isn’t a believer asks you home for dinner, accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you without raising questions of conscience. (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) For why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

2 Corinthians 6:3We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.

To keep from offending others, we should be careful how we live. This may require compromising our personal preferences but never our Christian convictions.

Romans 14:1Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.

To keep from offending others, we should avoid arguing about inconsequential issues. Before we try to persuade someone else about a personal conviction, we should make sure it is clearly spelled out in God’s word.

Proverbs 12:6, 18The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives. . . . Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.

Proverbs 15:4Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 18:4, 21Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook. . . . The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

James 3:2-10Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

1 Peter 3:10The Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.”

To keep from offending others, we should guard our mouths by carefully watching our words, always thinking before speaking.