“Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” – Romans 14:4
In every church, there are those who walk confidently in their liberty and those who walk carefully in their convictions. Each group worries about the other—one fears legalism, the other fears recklessness. But Paul reminds us that we are not each other’s masters. God alone is Lord. When we judge, despise, or condemn one another, we step into a place that belongs only to Him. Our opinions about someone’s spiritual maturity do not change God’s ability to sustain His children.
Paul then gives a promise strong enough to silence every fear: “To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” Whether a believer is strong or weak, bold or cautious, God Himself is the One who holds them up. Jesus said, “No one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). Our security is not rooted in our performance or in someone else’s evaluation of us—it is rooted in the grip of our Savior. Picture a child walking with their father. The child may stumble, hesitate, or run ahead, but the father’s hand keeps them steady. Their safety depends not on their steps, but on his strength. So it is with us. Jude 24 declares that God is the One “who is able to keep you from falling.” Our stability rests in Him alone.
This truth reshapes how we treat one another. If God is able to sustain both the strong and the weak, then we must release our judgmental attitudes and trust His work in their lives. Unity grows when we stop trying to manage each other’s spiritual journey and instead encourage one another toward Christ. Paul’s desire is that we would be “of one mind and one mouth” (Romans 15:6), glorifying God together. When we trust God to uphold His people, we remove the barriers of suspicion, criticism, and contempt that divide us. Whether strong or weak, every believer is held by the same faithful Lord.
Ask God to help you release the urge to judge or control the spiritual growth of others. Pray for the grace to trust Him with the believers you worry about. Choose today to encourage rather than critique, to build up rather than tear down. Rest in this truth: God is able to make His people stand—and He will.
“Let us not presume to judge the servants of another Master. He who called them is able to sustain them.”
—Augustine
surrendered devotions 