What should I do if I’m accused of being a stumbling block?

Matthew 18:6“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

The charge of being a stumbling block is a serious accusation, especially as it relates to children, so we should take it seriously. We should be quick to spend time in self examination.

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

1 Corinthians 8:9; 12-13You must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. . . . 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.

The simple answer is to stop encouraging weaker believers—by our words or actions—to engage in activities that they believe to be wrong. We shouldn’t even argue with them about the disputed activities, trying to convince them to indulge. This doesn’t mean that we avoid these activities altogether but that we don’t do them in the presence of those with “weaker” consciences. For example, a recovering alcoholic might be tempted to regress if he or she sees a Facebook post of a mature Christian friend drinking with friends at a bar. Or a recovering sex addict might be shocked by someone’s book or movie recommendations. Paul is saying that he will limit his freedom for the sake of a believer with “a weaker conscience.” We should be willing to do the same.