Playing God?

Letting Grace Do What Only God Can Do

The weak and the strong are throwing potshots at one another.
The strong hold the weak in contempt—viewing them as worthless, legalistic, or self-righteous.
The weak judge the strong as irresponsible at best and arrogant at worst.

Nothing has changed over the years. Races, genders, denominations, and religions continue the superiority fight. For some reason, hating, fearing, or diminishing someone else binds us together. Scapegoating—the creation of necessary victims—seems hardwired into the human story.

Yet Paul insists on something radically different: God has accepted both the weak and the strong.

So here’s the unsettling question: If God has accepted us, why can’t we receive one another?

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7).

Acceptance is the grace word Jesus preached and practiced.
If you don’t take anything else from this devotion, take this: Acceptance is grace.

Jesus accepted people whether they got it right or not. He did not live with an us-versus-them mentality. Jesus didn’t have a favorite team. People were never the enemy—they were God’s mission. Scripture has never been about who God is against; it has always been about who God is for (Romans 8:31).

That leaves us with a choice.
We can play cosmic referee, or we can trust God with people’s spiritual development.

Jesus met people where they were. Fishermen. Cheating tax collectors. A thief dying on a cross. He welcomed them before they were cleaned up. It was as if they belonged before they believed. Even when the rich young ruler walked away—choosing not to follow—the Scripture still says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him” (Mark 10:21).

Jesus met the moment with love.
He gave people the grace to be.

Paul brings us back to center with a simple truth:

“The one who eats must not treat with contempt the one who does not,
and the one who does not eat must not judge the one who does,
for God has accepted them.
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?
To their own master, servants stand or fall—and they will stand,
for the Lord is able to make them stand” (Romans 14:3–4).

That’s the release.
People do not belong to us. They belong to God.

Our task is not to manage one another’s growth but to make room for grace.
God is not anxious about their journey—and He is able to hold them up.

So we can let go.
We can stop keeping score.
We can trust God with what only God can do.

Acceptance is grace.
Grace leaves room.
And God knows how to keep His servants standing.

Grace to you,
Cedric
Traditionalwriter@yahoo.com