There have been and will be stumbling blocks within the Lord's church. Meat that was sacrificed to idols, and the consumption of it is one such example (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8). Naturally there may be Christians who realize there is no such thing as an idol and food sacrificed to idolatry is harmless. Other Christians may see the harm of idolatry and perceive weaker members as being led into violating their conscience by seeing a fellow Christians partake (1 Corinthians 8:9). The church in Pergamum was asked to repent for the stumbling blocks they refused to remove (Revelation 2:14).

Removing obstacles and keeping souls from stumbling profoundly relevant in Christianity today. Many continue to be swayed by the world with ease. Our lifestyle choices: choice of entertainment, what we wear, substance abuse, or even our political discourse, could cause a weaker Christian to stumble.  Social media provides a constant platform where our words and actions are visible. If we have a stumbling block we can very quickly seek out people that agree with our thinking in the realm of social media. We can even promote "stumbling blocks" in our posts to less mature Christians (Matthew 18:6, Luke 17:1-2).

We may also create obstacles by teaching in a way that is divisive (Romans 16:17). Difference in opinion can happen in the blink of an eye with the way we share information. It is very easy to post a thought or share a picture and rarely understand the context. This can lead to disunity and cause others to be lead astray from what the Bible says. As Christians we do not have the privilege of putting an obstacle in the way of anyone (2 Corinthians 6:3). On the other hand, we do have the privilege of pointing to our lives and being transparent. Removing the idea of hypocrisy or questioning of our faith by pointing to our own lives and showing the brethren and the world how we have and are currently suffering for the cause of Christ and His Will (2 Corinthians 6:4).Showing everyone that we love them as Jesus loves them and our willingness to suffer wrong treatment to win one.

"Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother" (Romans 14:13). When we choose to "live in the light, and not be a cause for stumbling," we can all be "judged by righteousness" (1 John 2:10, John 12:48). - asa