WARNING! What You Don't Realize About the Influence You Have on Others
From Life Lesson learned from the Bible - 1 Corinthians 10:27-33
Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should
Have you ever considered that what we say or do can cause another person to stumble—even unintentionally? This isn’t something we should be afraid of, but rather something we should be mindful of. The enemy is always looking for an opportunity to use our words or actions to turn someone away from Christ.
This is the lesson Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 10:27–33.
In this passage, Paul discusses food that had been sacrificed to idols. Some Christians understood that eating this food was not inherently sinful, while others struggled with its association with idol worship.
But Paul explains that even when a Christian has the freedom to eat the food, there may be circumstances in which refraining from eating it is the more wise and loving choice.
Why?
Because although we are free in Christ, we must also consider the spiritual well-being of others (John 8:36).
Paul writes in verse 29:
“For why is my freedom being judged by another's conscience?”
Paul is not saying that someone else gets to decide what is right or wrong for you. He understands that he is still free to do certain things. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you always should.
In other words, you can be free to do something and still choose not to do it out of love for someone else.
You are not necessarily admitting that the action is wrong. You are choosing to consider what is best for the other person.
Imagine being invited to eat a meal.
You know that the food itself is not wrong to eat, but someone brings attention to its connection to idol worship.
Rather than not caring and eating it, instead, you consider how your decision might affect that person’s conscience. Even when you have the right to do something, you may choose not to do it out of love and consideration for someone else.
And this principle extends beyond food.
It applies to our conversations, our conduct, our relationships, our influence, and the example we set as Christians.
Paul then gives us a guiding principle in verse 31: Whatever we do, we should do it all for the glory of God.
That means we should not simply ask, Am I allowed to do this? We should also ask, Does the way I am doing this honour God and help the people around me?
Let's look at what this means in our everyday lives.
1. Respect Others' Spiritual Growth
Imagine a new Christian who is still learning what it means to live a godly life. They have questions about entertainment, drinking alcohol, or other personal choices. They notice a more mature Christian participating in something they're unsure about.
When they express their concerns, the experienced Christian responds:
“There's nothing wrong with it. You're free in Christ. Stop being so religious.”
Although the experienced Christian may intend to help them understand their freedom in Christ, they could actually be pressuring them to do something they're not comfortable with or don't yet understand. Instead of allowing them time to grow in their understanding of God's Word and develop their own convictions, they push them to act before they're ready.
The new Christian might participate simply because they want to fit in. Instead of learning to exercise discernment, they learn to ignore their concerns to gain acceptance.
This is where we must be careful.
Just because you feel comfortable doing something does not mean someone else is ready to do it. Your level of understanding, your history, your struggles, and your circumstances may differ from theirs.
Don't use your freedom to pressure someone else. Use your understanding to help them grow.
Rather than telling someone what they should feel comfortable doing, help them study Scripture, ask questions, develop discernment, and grow in their relationship with God.
Our responsibility is not to make people imitate our convictions. It is to help them develop a mature understanding of their own walk with God.
2. Don't Make People Feel Ashamed for Struggling
Imagine a new believer who admits that they are still struggling with anger, temptation, or an old habit.
They may already feel disappointed in themselves. They may wonder why they continue to struggle when they have decided to follow Christ.
Instead of encouraging them, an experienced Christian says: “You've been saved for months. You should be past that by now.” Or, you compare them to yourself saying, "I don't struggle with that"
What happens next?
The new believer may begin to believe that Christianity is only for people who have already overcome all their struggles. They may become afraid to admit their weaknesses, ask for help, or seek accountability.
Instead of helping them grow, we have made it harder for them to grow.
This does not mean we should ignore sin or pretend that harmful behaviour doesn't matter. We can encourage repentance, responsibility, and change without humiliating someone.
There is a difference between correcting someone to help them and correcting someone to make them feel small.
Correction should aim at restoration, not humiliation.
Remember that spiritual maturity develops over time. Someone may be at a stage of their journey that you passed through years ago. Rather than looking down on them because they have not reached your level of understanding, help them take the next step.
Are you the person they're describing as doing this to someone else? If yes, the root cause is pride. Here are some terms that capture different aspects of pride:
Self-righteous — someone who sees themselves as more righteous or spiritually superior to others, often looking down on those who struggle.
Judgmental — someone who is quick to criticize another person's weaknesses rather than trying to understand or help them.
Condescending — someone who speaks to others as though they are inferior, making them feel small or inadequate.
Legalistic — someone who places excessive emphasis on rules and standards, potentially overlooking the process of spiritual growth and transformation.
Lacking compassion — someone who fails to show understanding or mercy toward another person's struggles.
Spiritually arrogant — someone who uses their spiritual knowledge, experience, or perceived maturity to elevate themselves above other believers.
Read more articles about pride here
3. Don't Let Your Freedom Become Someone Else's Temptation
Imagine a Christian who has struggled with alcohol in the past. They are trying to maintain healthy boundaries and avoid returning to a harmful pattern.
Another Christian feels comfortable drinking alcohol and believes that Christians have the freedom to do so.
That Christian says: "There's nothing wrong with drinking. Christians can drink.”
The second Christian may be convinced that they are exercising a legitimate freedom. However, they are failing to consider the vulnerability of the person in front of them.
What is harmless for one person in a particular situation may be dangerous for someone else because of their history or circumstances.
The problem is not necessarily that the second Christian possesses a freedom. The problem is that they are using that freedom without considering its effect.
This is closely related to Paul's concern in 1 Corinthians 10.
Paul wants believers to understand that exercising our rights is not the only consideration. We must also consider whether our behaviour could encourage another person to act against their conscience or return to something spiritually harmful.
Sometimes, love means choosing not to participate in something when you know that your participation could make another person's struggle more difficult.
You don't have to prove your freedom by exercising it in front of everyone. You can remain secure in your freedom while choosing what is best for someone else.
Scripture recommends we look out for the well-being of each other and not make it all about ourselves.
Philippians 2:4 (KJV) — Consider the needs of others.
“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Romans 15:1–2 (KJV) — Use your strength to help others grow.
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”
1 Corinthians 8:9 (KJV) — Don't let your freedom become a stumbling block.
“But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.”
1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV) — Not everything permissible is beneficial.
1 Corinthians 10:24 (KJV) — Look out for others, not just yourself.
“Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.”
4. Don't Use Your Knowledge to Make Others Feel Ignorant
Imagine a Christian who understands a difficult passage of Scripture. Another believer asks a question because they genuinely want to understand the Bible better.
Instead of patiently explaining it, the knowledgeable Christian responds: “You should know this already if you actually read your Bible.”
That comment may make the person feel foolish for asking a question.
The next time they have a question, they might remain silent. They might become embarrassed about their lack of understanding or begin to associate learning Scripture with being judged.
Think about what has happened.
The knowledgeable Christian had an opportunity to build someone up, but instead, they used their knowledge in a way that discouraged them.
Knowledge should not become a tool for establishing superiority over others.
If God has given you understanding, you have an opportunity to use it to help someone else grow.
The fact that you understand something that another person doesn't should make you more capable of helping them, not more entitled to look down on them.
The purpose of spiritual knowledge is not to prove how much you know. It is to help others come to a better understanding of God.
We should be able to explain truth with patience, humility, and compassion. We should create an environment where people feel safe asking sincere questions and learning from their mistakes.
After all, we were all once learning something we did not yet understand.
5. Don't Use Christian Freedom to Excuse Careless Behaviour
Imagine a Christian who regularly posts insulting comments online, participates in gossip, criticism, or treats other people disrespectfully.
When someone challenges their behavior, they respond: “God knows my heart. Nobody is perfect.” Or, they become defensive.
It is true that nobody is perfect.
But that truth should lead us toward humility and growth, not become an excuse for refusing to change.
When we claim to follow Christ, our conduct becomes part of the example we present to others.
Someone watching us may begin to wonder whether following Jesus actually changes how we treat people. A younger or less mature believer may even imitate our behaviour because they assume it is acceptable for Christians.
We can unintentionally teach people the wrong lesson about what it means to follow Christ.
This is why we must examine not only what we believe but also how we behave.
We must allow God to examine our hearts!
Are we using grace as an opportunity to grow, or are we using it as an excuse to remain unchanged? Are we representing Christ through our conduct, or are we making our own selfishness appear acceptable by attaching Christian language to it? Or worse, using the Holy Scriptures to justify it?
Grace should encourage us to grow in Christlikeness, not give us an excuse to disregard how our actions affect others.
We will make mistakes, but when we recognize them, we should be willing to take responsibility, seek forgiveness, and make changes.
Our goal is not to create an illusion of perfection. It is to live with humility and allow our faith to shape the way we treat people.
6. Don't Preach God's Love While Treating People Unfairly
Imagine a Christian who regularly talks about God's love, shares Bible verses, and encourages others to come to church. However, at work, they take credit for someone else's work, lie to avoid responsibility, or treat employees harshly.
An unbelieving coworker observes this behaviour.
What might they conclude?
They may struggle to reconcile the Christian's message about love with the way that Christian treats people.
The problem is not that the coworker expects Christians to be perfect. The problem is that the Christian's conduct contradicts the values they claim to represent.
Our actions can either support the message we proclaim or make it harder for people to take that message seriously.
This is one way we can become a stumbling block to unbelievers.
We may not be directly telling them to reject God, but our behaviour can create unnecessary obstacles to their understanding of what following Jesus means.
That doesn't mean we can control whether someone believes in God. Every person makes their own decisions. But we are responsible for the example we set. We should not use our words to point people toward Christ while our behaviour gives them reasons to question the sincerity of our message.
Let our honesty, fairness, humility, patience, and compassion reflect the God we profess to know.
We may not be able to answer every question someone has about Christianity, but our conduct should not contradict the very truths we are trying to communicate.
7. Don't Give Spiritual Answers When Someone Needs Compassion
Imagine someone who does not believe in God is grieving the loss of a loved one. They are hurting, confused, and struggling to understand what has happened. But then a Christian immediately responds: “Everything happens for a reason. You just need to have faith.”
The Christian may genuinely want to help. They may believe they are offering encouragement. But by responding this way without first listening, they may leave the grieving person feeling dismissed.
The person may feel that their pain is being minimized or that they are expected to stop grieving simply because a Christian has offered a spiritual explanation. This can create an unnecessary obstacle between that person and the Christian faith.
Sometimes, people need us to listen before we speak.
They need us to acknowledge their pain before we offer advice. They need to experience compassion rather than feel that we are trying to resolve their emotions with a quick answer.
There is a place for sharing Scripture, explaining our hope, and encouraging faith.
But how we communicate matters.
Truth should not be used as a substitute for compassion. It should be communicated with compassion.
We can sit with someone in their pain, listen without judgment, offer practical help, and allow them the space to grieve.
We do not have to abandon our beliefs to show compassion.
In fact, our compassion can demonstrate the character of the God we believe in.
Sometimes, the most loving thing we can do is not to explain everything, but to be present.
Joyce Meyer refers to this as “the ministry of being there.” Sometimes, one of the greatest ways we can show Christ’s love is simply by being present for someone, offering encouragement, and walking alongside them as they grow — Joyce Meyer
8. Understand That Causing Offence Is Not Always the Same as Causing Someone to Stumble
There is an important distinction we must make.
Paul is not teaching us that we must avoid every action that someone might dislike. Nor is he saying that other people's opinions should control our decisions.
Sometimes, doing what is right will make people uncomfortable. Correcting harmful behaviour may upset someone. Standing by biblical convictions may lead to disagreement. These do not mean we have become a stumbling block.
It's determining whether we're acting carelessly, selfishly, or in a way that unnecessarily hinders another person's spiritual well-being.
For example, if someone dislikes your commitment to biblical truth, that does not mean you must compromise your convictions to satisfy them.
However, if you use your knowledge of the Bible to humiliate them, you may create an unnecessary barrier that has nothing to do with the truth itself.
Similarly, if someone struggles with a temptation and your behaviour pressures them to give in, you should take that concern seriously.
We must learn to distinguish between standing firm in what is right and insisting on our own preferences at the expense of others.
This is Christian living!
Love does not require us to compromise the truth, but it does require us to consider how we communicate and live out that truth.
The goal is not to make everyone happy. The goal is to honour God while seeking the good of others.
This is why we must remain spiritually alert and depend on the Holy Spirit to recognize what we might otherwise overlook.
These may seem like small things, but they are powerful tools the enemy uses to accomplish his mission (John 10:10); especially to damage our relationship with Christ and lead us away from Him. This shows just how deceptive the enemy can be and how much we need the Holy Spirit to guide us, give us discernment, and help us recognize his schemes.
Use Your Freedom to Build People Up
Paul reminds us that whatever we do, whether eating, drinking, speaking, working, socializing, or exercising our personal freedoms, we should do it all for the glory of God.
That means our decisions should not be driven solely by what we want, what we can do, or what we believe we have a right to do. We should also consider how our choices reflect God and affect the people around us.
This does not mean we surrender our convictions whenever someone disagrees with us. It means we learn to exercise our convictions with wisdom, humility, and love.
Sometimes, the most mature decision is not to insist on our freedom but to limit it voluntarily because we care about someone else's spiritual well-being.
In the end, all Paul wanted to do was make sure people got saved—and stayed saved. And that should be our desire too.
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