“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” – Romans 14:12

Apostle Paul urges us in today’s passage to remember that we alone are accountable for the things we say, do, and live. God granted us the ability to choose for ourselves and hasn’t been involved since. In order to avoid finding ourselves on the receiving end of his criticism, he is depending on us to act morally.

All too frequently, we condemn our fellow Christians for not living up to our own predetermined ideals of behavior. We forget that they are also accountable for their own actions and words, as well as for what they dress, where they go, and what they eat and drink.

We do not have the authority to ‘play God’ in the lives of other believers. If someone does not behave in a way that aligns with our personal or local traditions, we are not allowed to impose our own standards on them or allow them to impose their peculiarities on us. Rather, we should treat others with respect, as we will all stand before God at some point to give an account of ourselves to Him.