someone has a different conviction than me...now what?

These are some thoughts I had from our upcoming lesson in Sunday school on Romans 14. ( so weird how my bf and i were just talking about this and now we are studying it in SS God works in mysterious ways.... ways i cannot explain.)

In Romans 14 God gives us some principals in dealing with convictions
and the differences we face. All though I have read this passage many times
I have forgotten the principals God has placed here for me to follow and sadly I have not really been applying them to my life! I have decided to record the principals as a daily reminder and for you all to read to.

Romans 14

In Vs. 3 God says that we are to not despise those who do not have the same convictions as us.
Far too often I look down on others like the Amish people ( for instance) who give up what I call pleasures in life and choose the plain life and boredom ( to me that’s how it appears) or I look down on those who choose to wear dresses everyday or sometimes when people have a more conservative stance then me on music I look down on them. When it says here in vs. 3 that we are to not despise them, to look down on them.
When I look down on others in this manner I am forgetting all the times others have looked down on me for the convictions I have…. I need to remember that I need to “do unto others” what I would have them to do to me.


Vs . 3 also says that We are to not judge those who seemingly have lower standards than us.
This is the one I REALLY struggle with ! To often I judge others for
Not having the same convictions as me. I feel like others should hold my SAME standard. But I am forgetting the greatest commandment and that is to love.
I am trying to take over Gods job of judging and the Holy spirits job of convicting and I am neglecting my job to love.
In fact is vs. 4 says that we are to let God judge others.

Vs 5. Everyone should have their convictions based upon Gods calling on their life not according to what other people want ( or do not want). Just like there are different trials for different people so there are different convictions. No two people have ever nor ever will be the same , no two people will even ever live the exact same life nor serve Christ in the exact same capacity or way exactly the same.
So of coarse there would have to be different convictions to fit that so many diverse persons lives and ministries.

Vs. 6 says that we are to hold to our convictions and since God gave them we are to thank Him for them. Sometimes I look at others, and I wish that I could not have a certain conviction so that I could do the same things as they do ( mind you these things are not sinful nor are these people sinning I just hold a different conviction.) but I am forgetting that God has a reason for my convictions and in light of that I need to thank Him for it!
Its just so awesome that God knows me so well and that while now I do not know why or how He will use my convictions and sometimes I wish I did not have them I need to realize that just like a little child who cannot see the benefits of green beans so I cannot now see the benefits of my convictions, but later down the road just like the green beans one day they will benefit me if I follow them as unto the Lord and if I thank God for them it will be so much easier for me to follow them. God knows exactly what I need for the road ahead! Just like my mom always knew exactly what to pack for us when we were younger and could not pack ourselves for a long trip so God knows exactly ( and even more to a tee cause He never forgets that extra pillow or your toothbrush) what we need for the trip of life. He knows exactly what to place into out suitcase for life and what not to place in there.
Just like I was grateful to my mom for packing for me so i need to be thankful to God for " packing for me".

Vs. 11 says that even more important than convictions is righteousness and peace and joy. How we practice these even when others have differing convictions is by remembering that it is our job to love Romans 13: 8 ( I know I know I have said this a lot) and by loving others we would keep the peace and not be a stumbling block to others!!

Vs 13. says that we are to keep our convictions as unto God, and in light of knowing this , I should be spurred on to respect and help others in keeping their convictions because they have made them unto God.

It also says that we will be held accountable to God no one will answer for me
( or even to me) and like wise everyone else you will only answer for yourselves vs. 13. Why then do we judge others when God it is obviously Gods job to judge? What happens to make me want to try to get others to be convicted in the same way that I am?
The answer is this: I have become prideful first off. I am either looking down on someone cause they are seemingly lower than myself cause they hold a totally lower standard ( in my eyes) than I do… or I am looking down on them cause they are holding a seemingly severe conviction that is just totally weird and frivolous in my sight.
Secondly I have attempted to assert God’s job of judging others and the spirits job of convicting and have neglected my only job to love. If I truly loved others
I would never look down on them cause of their different convictions I would also strive to help them keep their own convictions seeing as they made them to God. I love the proverb 10: 12 “ Hatred stirs up strife, but LOVE covereth a multitude of sins.”
Want a relationship cure all? Try love… God gave us one two great commands ( both of which involve a relationship and LOVE!) That is to “ LOVE the LORD our God with all our heart soul and mind.” And to “ LOVE our NEIGHBOR as our self.” Love is the very thing that keeps every relationship together. If you love somebody you would care for them, trust them, forgive them, help them. All those things are needed in a relationship but the only reason why we would ever do them is because of LOVE!


Vs. 18. In this verse God says that we will be acceptable to Him and approved be men. In psalm 34 it says that we are to seek peace and make it our pursuit.
We should want to live peaceably with others in spite of differing opinions and convictions. We should never let a disagreement tare us apart to the point where we do not even love nor show love towards others.

Look at Jesus.. He knew when He chose Judas as His disciple that he would ultimately betray Him yet HE accepted him and showed him love. He also knew that all His disciples would run away and that even one of His closest disciples would deny Him. Yet He accepted them and helped them. How many of us would knowingly accept a betrayer as our friend?? Christ did and still does ( after all He accepted me and I betray Him every time I sin which is everyday.)
If Jesus could show love to all of us in spite of ourselves then why can’t I show love to others in spite of their differing opinions on music, playing cards, going to movies, and you name it.

The thing that I have learned from this passage ( amongst many things) is to let God judge.. let the holy spirit convict and what I must do is LOVE.
No matter what the circumstance I am to love. It did not say that “ You love your neighbor as yourself but if ( and you put in the excuse)” No it has no room for an excuse in there it just simply says LOVE.
Now I am not saying that you have to love sin and condone it but we are called to the SINNER!

This study we have been doing in Romans as a youth group has been amazing God has taught me SO much but this lesson really spoke to me. I love how a customer put it who came into my work today asking me what I was studying
I told him I was reading proverbs “ Oh the book of Wisdom.” Was his reply.
Then he proceeds to tell me that he is studying Colossians. And what struck me was this he said “ Col. Is such a great book there is SO much TREASURE in there I am finding myself just reading it over and over again.”
That really convicted me that perhaps I am reading too fast… perhaps I need to slow down a little. That was an encouragement to me first off that I can even read my Bible and record thoughts that I gather from it at my work. Second that I can even talk to a customer about the Bible and thirdly the challenge of needing to take it slower.
This makes me think of movies I have seen where people find a treasure and they just soak it all in if you will. They stare at it and ponder it and eventually use it to. That is how I should treat the Bible. Ponder on it… meditate… memorize and then use it to its fullest capacity. I love how a speaker at camp this last year put it “ It is not about how many times you have been through the Bible but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”
The bible is one of the greatest gifts God has given us.

If you found a million dollars would you use it? Or just leave it in your room gathering dust? We use our cell phones to talk to others all day and to let them communicate with us but when do we do the same for God? When do we ever let God communicate to us through His word and when do we ever comunicate back to Him in prayer?
In my life it is never enough!


This chapter in Romans ( chapter 14) has so many treasures in it ( as the proverbs and psalms refer to the bible and its wisdom as treasure and as that customer did) and there is so much more there to find than what little I have written here so I encourage you to read the whole thing and let God speak to you.