Cause for Stumbling

"He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him."

1 John 2:10

Anyone who stands upright and walks has the potential to stumble.  We have all stumbled at times for various reasons and exhibited degrees of athleticism as we struggled to keep our feet.  Some of us have had the unpleasant experience of catching a wall or piece of furniture with a toe or have been intentionally tripped by someone else.  Those guilty of dragging their feet or not paying attention to where they were walking because they were fixated on their phones have stumbled and fallen.

When we speak of physically stumbling nearly every time there is an external contributing factor, like a slippery surface, a raised kerb or uneven ground.  It is possible for people to be "stumbled" mentally because of something we have heard or seen that trips us up, like a pastor who was inebriated with alcohol or discovering a person we respect has been secretly living a lie.  Many Jews in Jesus' day "stumbled" at the suggestion Jesus was the Son of God and salvation was by faith in Him alone and not by attempts to keep the Law.  They expected the Messiah to be a conquering king, not a suffering servant, and they thought John the Baptist a more legitimate prophet than Jesus because of His (as was supposed) illegitimate birth.

The apostle John explains not all causes of stumbling are from external factors or can be rightly blamed on others:  there can be causes of stumbling within each one of us.  The implication is our own hearts and minds can be a minefield of offence shrouded in darkness where stumbling is inevitable.  We cannot help what others will do and say, but those who are born again and follow Jesus in loving one another have "no cause for stumbling" in us.  I have found this to be absolutely true.  Should feelings of frustration, annoyance and anger rise up within me because of offences, the prime reason is I have ceased to walk in love towards others.  Loving our brother shows we walk in the light of God's grace and the Gospel of Jesus, and the stumbling blocks of keeping records of wrongs and self-righteousness is removed from us.

It is very easy to be troubled and agitated when people try to trip us up, and it is even easier to stumble when the cause of stumbling is within us due to our sinful refusal to love others.  Let us look to the God who commands us to follow Him and love one another as our example and source of love, wisdom and strength.  Hatred, selfishness and pride are internal stumbling blocks that lead to spiritual stumbling and wounds only God has the power to heal.  Having eyes opened by faith in Jesus, as we walk in humility we are enabled to see clearly how our lack of love causes us to stumble.  Praise the LORD the Light of the World Jesus Christ shines and shows us our need to walk in love, otherwise we will stumble in the dark and remain clueless the reason is within us.