ARE YOU CAUSING OTHERS TO TRIP AND FALL?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Whoever loves his brother lives in the light,
and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.”
(1 John 2:10)

MEDITATION:
Remember when you were young and enjoyed tripping someone?
You weren’t doing it to be mean or to hurt someone; you just
enjoyed the humor of seeing them stumble. In most cases, you
(the ‘tripper’) and the victim (‘tripee’) would both laugh about
it afterward.

We can do things for laughter, but the scriptures warn us about
causing someone to ‘stumble’ and fall into sin. Jesus has given
us a stern warning about causing little children to ‘stumble’,
and especially those who believe in Him.
    “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who
      believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them
      to have a large millstone hung around their neck and
      to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
      (Matthew 18:6)

It is unfortunate that, as a result of our words and actions, some of
us as adults are guilty of causing our children to ‘stumble’. Causing
them to ‘stumble’ is probably unintentional, but what children see
in their parents, they have a tendency to pattern for themselves. We,
as parents, have ample opportunities to cause our children to ‘stumble’.

If they see their parents freely using profanity, their children may
‘stumble’ into believing this type of language is okay. If they see
their parents stealing, lying, or cheating, they may ‘stumble’ into
believing these actions are normal.

When they see their parents drinking or smoking, they may ‘stumble’
into doing the same things when they are older. If children see their
parents involved in any kind of sin, they may ‘stumble’ into believing
that sin is not a problem.

If their parents take them to church, but don’t attend themselves,
the children may ‘stumble’ into having no interest in the importance
of worshipping the Lord and developing Christian friendships. When
a child doesn’t see sincerity in the faith of their parents, it may cause
them to ‘stumble’ into believing they don’t have a need for the Lord
in their lives.

If children hear their parents complaining about the decorum of
a church (type of music, choir robes, seating arrangements, etc.),
they may ‘stumble’ into thinking they should look for things to
complain about at church, rather than attending with a joy of
being there to worship and praise the Lord.

There are many ways that adults can cause ‘little children to stumble’
and Jesus said we are going to be held responsible for our actions
(or our inactions).

Why do we cause others to stumble in their walk with the Lord?
It might be because we are calloused and have an indifferent
attitude toward others (and especially if they are not in our
‘inner circle’ of friends).

We may have developed an attitude (unlike the one of Jesus) that
as long as we can satisfy our own selfish desires and feed our own
ego, we have contentment, so others need to fend for themselves.
Does this type of attitude sound like someone who has never been
reborn?

Some still have the same attitudes and focus they have always had, and
nothing really changed after they went through the process of salvation.
If Jesus is Lord of our lives, then others should see His characteristics in
the way we live, and the attitudes we have.

Picture this:
    God sends His love to those who belong to Him as a kind of
    ‘sunbeam’ that enters our body (and mind) for the purpose
    of radiating His love to others. We are one of His chosen
    venues for communicating His love to others.

    We can either allow His love to flow through us and become
    a witness and encouragement to others seeking Him, or we
   can ignore what He expects of us and cause others to ‘stumble’
    because don’t allow His ‘sunbeam’ to reach them through us.

So, how do we know if we are causing others to ‘stumble’? We are
told in God’s Word that we are ‘doing right’ when we love others
in the same way the Lord loves them. The love of God flowing
through us provides the ‘light’ that shows others the right way
to live and helps to prevent them from ‘stumbling’.

When we love others as Jesus does, we unselfishly want the best for
them. Rather than being consumed with ourselves, we have a heart
for others. When we have a heart full of love for others and their
well-being, we can become a reflection of the love of the Lord.
    Then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
    having the same love, being one in spirit and of one
    mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
    conceit. Rather, in humility value others above
    yourselves, not looking to your own interests but
    each of you to the interests of the others.
    (Philippians 2:2-4)

Unless our hearts have been transformed by the Holy Spirit
to receive and reflect the warmth of God’s compassion, we
cannot love others as we should (the way God wants us to love).

ACTION:
We could ask ourselves:
    Am I encouraging others by the things I say and
    do, or am I causing them to stumble and fall?

Think about the value of our encouraging words to those who
are serving the Lord. Satan is constantly attacking them in his
effort to discourage them, but our encouragement can spur
them to continue in their efforts to allow the Lord to use them.

Do our words, actions, and attitudes reflect the characteristics
of Jesus? How would we respond if someone asked us,
    “When is the last time you made a
      special effort to encourage someone?”

Is God’s love radiating through us, or does it stay within
us? How would we answer this serious question:
    “Are you allowing God’s sunbeam to enter you
      so He can shine on others through you?”

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, I want to encourage others to know
You. Make me aware of any areas of my life that are
causing others to stumble. Teach me to freely allow
Your love to radiate through me and touch the hearts
of others. I want to point others toward You so they
will not stumble into wrong ideas, wrong philosophies,
wrong doctrine, and ultimately into sin. Thank You for
casting Your sunbeam of love in my direction. Forgive
me if I have caused others to stumble, and I pray that
You will guide me in my efforts to love others as Jesus
does. Help me to love others even if they have hurt me
in some way. Increase my interest in others so I will
become unselfish and have genuine concern for the
welfare of others. Teach me how to encourage others
in the same way You encourage me.”

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