Romans 14:7 It Is Not About You

 

For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. Romans 14:7

Watching any advertisements will show a person that everything is about him. It is about pleasing one’s own self as much as possible. It is about getting everything one can and being happy in this life.

The process of being happy is to not deny one’s self of any pleasure, regardless of the cost. It does not matter if one has to step on another or cut another down in order to be happier. It is all about self.

Paul talks about this saying that no one lives or dies for himself alone. The world tries to deny this. Yet, the reality is that everyone needs everyone. No one can build their own home without the help of someone else. That help could be just someone making the ax to chop the trees down, to make the boards to build the house. Someone else is needed.

Yet, many live as though they are the king and don’t need any one else. Rules are made by individuals and placed harshly upon others to live by.

In the church there are many people who have come up with a long list of things to do or not to do in order to be a believer. Some have learned that they have freedom in Christ to do things that were once thought of as bad. This does not give them a license to do those things around others who do not believe it yet.

It is not about self. It is about building others up. If someone does not believe a Christian should play cards, the other person, who has no problem with it, must not play cards around him. That is not building up, but cutting down, causing a stumbling block.

You may be on the giving or receiving end of this type of action. Take a look at your life and see how you are living it. As Jesus did not make His life to be all about Him, but about others, so you must make your life to be about others.

First is God, then other people around you. What are you doing to build them up?

What are you doing that is cutting them down or holding them down?

Live like Jesus and put the desires of others first above your own. It is not about you.

I pray today that you will know the love God has for all people; that you will know the care God has for others; that you will live for God; and that you will live to build others up in Jesus.