Romans 14 (Wordspring Scriptural Rendering)

1  Foster an openhanded relationship with those who struggle with their faith. Avoid splitting hairs in areas of scripture that are petty. 

2 One believer may feel the liberty to eat meat while another may chose to be a vegetarian.

3 The meat eater shouldn't stir up debates with the vegetarians and neither should the vegan condemn the meat eaters. God accepts both because your food choices are far less important than heart choices. 

4 And really... Who are you to look at your boss and question who he invites into the organization. The boss is the one to judge the practices of the employee not the employee's peers. Likewise, if God invites a person with trivial differences to His table, trust His decision without trying to mold people into your own image. 

5 A man may choose to set aside a certain day as a personal holy day, leaving you perplexed. That's OK. The only thing that matters is that He is connecting to God intimately. It doesn't require an act of congress to allow Him to create a personal day of worship.  He doesn't need to drag every Christ-follower with him. Don't over-analyze it. 

6 A man who fasts, worships, retreats and feasts should be doing these things for God and not to create more man-approved religion. 

7  Our life in Christ should be all consuming. Our heart should beat for Christ and Christ alone.

8  Our faith is worth living for and worth dying for. Life in all it's aspects should be radically dedicated to the One who gave us life. The title and registration of our life has His name on it. 

9  Jesus lived, died and conquered death so that we, too, could live, die and conquer death. When we live, it speaks of God's providence.  When we die it speaks of God's Promise. The sum of life finds it's meaning in this eternal connection.

10  If you believe this to be the truth, how can you psychoanalyze the spiritual worship of others. Even more, how can you discredit the sincerity of your fellow brothers and sisters. Make no mistake, all of us will answer to Jesus at the end of this life. 

11  God says, "As sure as I live, Every one will one day relent to my authority. Everyone will see and bow. Everyone will eventually confess that I was God after all."

12 We will all stand before God and explain why we lived the way we lived. 

13 So take this as a warning. Don't judge each other. Instead, make a commitment to remove yourself from the mix of judgement. Only one throne of judgement exists and it doesn't belong to you. Stop setting up traps and roadblocks that sabotage the church and cause those you should love to fall on their face. 

14  As a follower of Christ, I can attest that there is no food restriction's in the diet of the believer but if someone feels otherwise, that's between him and God. 

15  If your brother is truly disturbed by your eating habits and you ignore him, what kind of love is that? It's a small sacrifice to refrain from a certain dietary restriction in order to show love to the believers around you. 

16  To live your life with little regard for the weaknesses of others is foolish and not God's way. Your cavalier approach could actually be a source of evil.

17  This divine mission has less to do with the stomach and more to do with the heart. Your love should always overpower your dietary habits. Righteousness, peace, and joy should be first on the menu. 

18  Serving Christ should please God and seem pure to your companions. 

19  All this to say, stide to go out of your way to broker peace and health within the church.

20  Don't crush God's work over something as insignificant as a cut of meat or a pinch of yeast. Food is food until it starts wreaking havoc among believers who come from a different set of cultural norms.

21  When that occurs, perhaps the best thing for a matter, self-aware believer to do is to just sacrifice a freedom or two for the good of those who are new believers. 

22  I am writing these things, not knowing about your personal preferences or customs. But whatever belief you have about these daily habits keep your eye on the prize and keep your choices between you are God free from useless editorializing. Blessed is the man who doesn't shoot himself in the foot by what food he puts in his mouth!

23  But don't make this a two-faced game of who's looking when I eat. Seek wisdom and avoid phoniness. Pray in faith for what's right and then stand consistently by your God-inspired decision.  If you are acting one way today and another way tomorrow, you may just be a people pleaser rather than a Christ follower.