PAUL PRESENTS an unsettling thought. Our knowledge about God's will can be dangerous to others who are less knowledgeable.
The very assurance with which we act on our faith can destroy the faith of others for whom Christ also died. Being right does not always assure that we are doing the right thing. We can be right and still be doing the wrong thing.

Just as Jesus Himself so often did, Paul puts kindness first. Not merely to avoid hurting anyone's feelings, but for the higher purpose of drawing us all closer to God.

Sacrifice is at the center of learning to be Christ-like, but to sacrifice being right is not a concept that often occurs to most of us. When we put aside our "rights," our certainties, our conveniences, or our goals to make the path to God easier for someone else to travel, an amazing thing happens. We, too, are a step further down that path, a step closer to God.

In the world stepping aside means letting someone else get ahead of you and falling behind yourself. By God's grace stepping aside in the kingdom of heaven can mean that everyone wins the race.