Christ Died for Him, Too

One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every dat to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. (Rom 14:5)
But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God. (Rom 14:10)

For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. By what you eat, do not destroy that one for whom Christ died. (Rom 14:15)

Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. (Rom 14:23)

These scriptures stuck a cord in me today as I took a sort of sabbath to rest; I had been feeling over-exerted and did ministry all day on Sunday. Something that always seems to weigh with much awareness on my mind is how people have such different ideas on what is good, correct, righteous, worthy, compassionate, etc. Living with 10 other people for the last 2+ months and with 7 others the three months before that, and well let's just throw in all the other living situations throughout college I have had—they have all been sprinkled with frustrations about the differences in lifestyles and recently in ideas on holiness and Jesus-like-ness.

I am a very critical person and this usually flirts with judgementalism. It is one thing to assess a situation and I don't think it reaches full on judgment most of the time (though I'm human, and normal, and it happens try as I might to not). But the thing is a critical mind is toxic in a parallel way. I get frustrated because I EXPECT others to want the things I want wether it is to take out the trash and wipe up the counters (thanks, Mom!) or if it is to speak more kindly in certain situations or to be what I consider more humble in other regards. Very vague examples but the idea is that COMPARISON and CRITICISM are just boiling points for in-house mental flurry. What I mean is it does me harm, doesn't change the world for Christ and God definitely does not need me to be a on detail-patrol for other's hearts and their own relationships with God.

Everyone has their own load, their own life and their own relationship with God.

So, as I reflect on these passages this is what I want to soak in:

Christ died for others just as He did for me!! We are equally loved and saved, and how we do house chores or the specifics on how we express the love we know and the love we are just getting to know are petty. In my freedom to act boldly and strongly as is true to my character, this freedom need not EVER harm or bring inferiority to another. What is righteousness if there is no grace?

With all that I am chasing after the freedom that confidence in faith brings that what I am doing is in-line with who I know Jesus to be in my life and to be able to stand on that. Alone. This is faith. (Rom 14:23)