Romans 14:13
Let us not, therefore, judge one another anymore; but judge this, rather: that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
The Bible has a lot to say about walking in liberty and freedom. It says that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17). It says that you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free, if the Son therefore shall set you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:32,36). Also, Stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has set you free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Gal. 5:1). It is evident, therefore, that God wants me to be free, free to be me.
I have noticed far too often, that people will try to make me fit the image of what they think that I ought to be. At one time in my life, I was very much aware of this and it made me feel self conscious and sometimes even inadequate. When I was around a lot of other preachers, I would feel pressure to try to be like them. I would find that if I didn’t think like they thought, or didn’t act like they acted that I was either not taken seriously or was left out altogether. I was made to feel that if I did not have the same schooling that they had, then I was not as capable as they were. In reality, I was not being free to be me.
This is true in many other areas of life too. We all tend, to one degree or another, to try to mold those around us into the image that we think that they should fit. The truth is that God doesn’t intend for us to shape others into our image and then judge them by how well they do. God wants each of us to be conformed to His image. He uses our own uniqueness and our different personalities to reveal His nature and character. Wouldn’t it be boring if we were all exactly alike all the time.
This verse says that we are to stop judging others and to start being more concerned about not causing others to stumble or fall. In other words, I will give Christ the opportunity to mold you into who He wants you to be. In this way, you will be free to be you and I will be free to be me.