The Plumbline

  None of us lives for himself [for his own benefit, but for the Lord], and none of us dies for himself [but for the Lord]. (Romans 14:7) It can be a difficult thing to remember we don't live for ourselves, always seeking ways to benefit ourselves in the present circumstances. This message to us is sandwiched into the instruction to stop judging each other by what we do or don't do, eat or don't eat, criticizing each other over the most trivial stuff. None of us lives for himself - how come we need that reminder? Maybe it is because we find all kinds of ways to put ourselves FIRST in life, neglecting others at times, and even taking our relationship with Jesus for granted. We no longer live for our own benefit. If you haven't already realized it, our 'benefits' come from the closeness of our relationship with Christ and others! Work on those and you might just find your attitude toward others actually changes. You become less critical because you realize just ho...