Romans 14:13

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”

There is plenty of finger pointing going on in most of our families. “She did this!” or “He did that!” or “But he did the other thing first!” Sometimes we try to minimize our sin by criticizing the actions of others, but it only makes things worse. Proverbs 15:1 teaches us “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stir up anger.”

When was the last time finger pointing brought peace into your home?

If the Apostle Paul were to show up in the middle of a finger pointing session at your house or mine he would say in a stern voice, “Stop that! Stop passing judgment on one another! Instead, help one another be more like Jesus!” Paul knew that the only thing that comes from this condemnation of one another is disunity, disharmony, and disrespect…or to put it simply, the opposite of loving one another. So when conflict arises, how should we as Christians respond?

First, we must decide ahead of time that we are going to pursue love and peace in our homes above all else. Second, we have to be compassionate with each other. Perhaps your sibling or parent or spouse is having a really tough day and what they really need from you is just to love on them rather than point your finger at them. Finally, we must avoid stirring the pot of hard feelings by being as loving towards one another as we possibly can. It helps to remember the acronym JOY: Jesus, Others, Yourself.

APPLICATION: Discuss how your family needs to handle conflict when it arises. Think of some recent examples and then apply Romans 14:13 to them to see how you could have resolved them in a Christ like way.