The "Weaker" Brother...

You don't understand what it means to not do something for protection of the weaker brother until you are him. Or in my case until you are Her.

Many an argument have crossed my path about drinking, smoking, use of diet drinks, oils, etc.  If it has come and gone through a community of believers, I have watched it pass.  I can only speak from personal experience and from the scriptures to this one, so please forgive me if you tend to be a person with a minor in OCD and a major in Addiction and this has not been your experience...

Are you someone that, once something works for you, you want the whole earth to share in your new found thing?  Do you talk it, eat it, drink it, sleep it and then do it all again the next day with a thankful and most gracious heart?  You are probably an Apostal, which is good.  The thing that is bad may be your efforts are being used in a temporary thing when they could be better used furthering the kingdom of God.  You are probably an Apostal... racing in the mind, distracted by shiny things, and the next best craze as I too have often been.  You are the weaker brother, brother.  I know because I too am she.  Sucked in by lesser things, by temporary things, by things that never quite fix, but feel better for a bit.  Beware the next best craze...

You who do the next best craze, and introduce it to the weaker brother.  What are you doing?  Please don't show me things that I can get addicted to, go running to, snuggle in to, huddle with, wake up wanting, needing buying and regretting.  I know, your relationship with that thing is different than mine, but I cant just do things a little. I need to be all in.  Keep your craze to yourself.  Do you know who I am ?  How can you tell a weaker brother.  You know I am she because I have shared, but what about her or him?  How do we stop this insanity before it begins?

From a weaker brother vantage point, might I suggest asking a few questions?  Will doing this edify the the weaker brother? Will it glorify the Lord?  (reverse that order) Is God the center? Can I live without this?  Could this be addictive?  Yes it may be permissible but is it beneficial?  My issue with addiction is my issue with addiction.  I get that, but I would never want to cause a weaker brother to stumble...

SOLUTION...

Let God be it all.  Drink Him in, let him regulate your food, heal your body, give you peace.  Is he not good enough alone?  Not drunk down with a fill of something man made?  a fill of the temporal?  You submit to one another as God sees fit, as servants of Jesus.  I will handle my addiction if you are true to not watering down all the Lord is to us.  HE IS OUR ALL.  Live it.