Read 1 John 2:9–11
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing
in him to make him stumble.
1 John 2:10
A man who was walking down a dark street one night saw a pinpoint
of light coming toward him in a faltering way. He thought perhaps
the person carrying the light was ill or drunk, but as he drew nearer,
he could see a man carrying a flashlight and a white cane.
Why would a blind man be carrying a light? the man wondered,
and then he decided to ask.
The blind man smiled. “I carry my light, not so I can see, but so
that others can see me. I cannot help being blind,” he said, “but I can
help being a stumbling block.”
The best way to help other Christians not to stumble is to love
them. Love makes us stepping-stones; hatred (or any of its “cousins,”
such as envy or malice) makes us stumbling blocks. It is important
that we Christians exercise love in a local church, or else there will
always be problems and disunity. If we are falling over each other,
instead of lifting each other higher, we will never become a truly
happy spiritual family.
Something to Ponder
In what ways have you been a stumbling block for other believers?
How can you avoid being a stumbling block in the future?