Flexibility

This picture reminds me of what it was like to be a young child; limber and flexible in all things, open to new ideas and courses of action. Unfortunately, as we become older we lose some of these things, some by choice and others just by growing older. I don't think I can ever be as flexible as I was at say, age 8, but I can be open to the views of others and a healthy examination of my own life. This is what I think is the thrust of Romans 14. Its a long passage, but worth the reading.

Romans 14:1-23 Complete Apostles' Bible
(1) Receive one that is weak in the faith, not for disputes over opinions.
(2) One indeed believes that he may eat all things, but another, being weak, eats only vegetables.
(3) Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
(4) Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or he falls. And he shall be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
(5) One indeed judges one day above another; but another judges every day the same. Let each be fully assured in his own mind.
(6) He that regards the day, regards it to the Lord; and he that does not regard the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. And he that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he that does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God.
(7) For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
(8) For whether we live, we live to the Lord; and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live, or whether we die, we are the Lord's.
(9) For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
(10) But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
(11) For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
(12) So then each of us shall give account concerning himself to God.
(13) Therefore let us no longer judge one another, but judge this rather, not to put a stumbling block or an offense before our brother.
(14) I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean of itself; except to him considering anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
(15) But if your brother is grieved on account of your food, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food the one on behalf of whom Christ died.
(16) Therefore do not let your good be slandered.
(17) For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(18) For he that serves Christ in these things is well pleasing to God and approved by men.
(19) Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
(20) Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but are evil for the man eating with offense.
(21) It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor to do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or becomes weak.
(22) Do you have faith? By yourself, have it before God. Blessed is he that does not condemn himself in what he approves.
(23) But he who doubts, if he eats, has been condemned, because it is not of faith; and everything which is not of faith is sin.

In the ancient world, meat that was sold in the market place may have previously been offered to idols and some early Christians were sensitive to that possibility and therefore would not eat meat. Others, who were converts from Judaism would want to celebrate special Jewish holidays. What do you do? Become flexible in your understanding of liberty is the answer. I think the key is found in verse 1 of this chapter; and that key is opinions. There are certain facts about Christianity that are absolutes, such as Jesus being the means of our salvation and the existence of God the father and The Holy Spirit. So liberty concerns itself with opinions, period. The fundamentals of Christianity are not open to debate, just matters of opinions. As far as I am concerned, the girl in the picture can wear whatever color outfit she wants on Monday, no problem. I am learning to be flexible about Monday; Tuesday is another matter altogether. I guess I need to work on my flexibility some more.