Somewhere along the way, a good suggestion can become an expectation. And if we’re not careful, it may even become a standard by which we judge other people’s faith.
Consider something as ordinary as making your bed.
Productivity experts often recommend making your bed first thing in the morning. It’s a small accomplishment that helps establish order and begin the day with a positive routine.
I usually make mine.
I like the way the room looks afterward. And I have throw pillows with Scripture on them, so making my bed gives me an opportunity to notice those verses and think about them.
It’s a habit I value.
But my good reasons for making my bed don’t make it a biblical requirement.
That distinction reaches into far more important areas of life.
A good practice isn’t necessarily a command
Christians make decisions every day about how to manage time, money, health, family responsibilities, worship, and work. Scripture gives us clear commands and valuable principles that should shape those decisions.
But we shouldn’t confuse a principle with one particular way of applying it.
For example, managing money responsibly is consistent with biblical teaching. That doesn’t mean every Christian must follow the same budgeting system. Taking reasonable care of our bodies is wise. It doesn’t mean everyone needs the same exercise routine. Parents have responsibilities for raising and teaching their children. That doesn’t establish one educational method for every Christian family.
The same principle applies to professional life.
A business owner might discover that a particular planning method works extremely well. A leader might establish a routine that helps the team communicate. An author might have a productive writing schedule. Those practices may deserve to be recommended.
But a method that works well for one person isn’t automatically a universal standard.
How personal preferences become expectations
The progression can be subtle.
First, we discover a good practice. Then we recommend it to someone else. Eventually, we may begin wondering why everyone doesn’t do the same thing.
From there, it’s a short step to assuming that people who make different choices aren’t as disciplined, responsible, or committed as we are.
And when Christian faith is involved, we may attach spiritual significance to differences that are largely matters of personal preference.
That’s where we need to slow down.
We can encourage responsible behavior without demanding identical routines. We can value excellence without requiring everyone to use our methods. And we can respect biblical principles without claiming that Scripture endorses every detail of our preferred approach.
What Scripture actually requires
Romans 14 addresses disagreements among believers over practices they considered important.
In Romans 14:4 (NIV), Paul challenges believers about judging someone who ultimately answers to another master.
The immediate issues in that passage weren’t household organization or morning routines. They were serious disagreements in the early Christian community. But the passage raises an enduring concern about how believers treat one another when their practices differ.
We need to distinguish among three questions:
- Does Scripture clearly require or prohibit this?
- Is there a biblical principle that should guide the decision?
- Am I treating my preferred application as though it’s the only acceptable one?
Sometimes Scripture gives a clear instruction. We shouldn’t minimize that.
Sometimes it provides a principle that requires judgment about particular circumstances.
And sometimes we’re dealing primarily with a useful practice or personal choice.
Those distinctions matter because careless claims about what the Bible requires can put unnecessary pressure on others.
As I discussed in an earlier Christian Almanac episode, a Bible verse may be true even when it doesn’t support the point we’re trying to make.
We should handle Scripture with enough care to recognize the difference.
Standards for ourselves—and grace for others
Having personal standards is not the problem.
If a particular routine helps you manage your day, keep it. If a budgeting system helps you meet your responsibilities, continue using it.
The challenge is remembering that the practice we find meaningful doesn’t automatically establish a requirement for other believers.
That doesn’t eliminate accountability. Christians are still responsible for obeying Scripture and treating people well. But it should encourage us to be more careful about which standards we apply to others.
Wisdom without unnecessary judgment
Most of us have learned useful practices from people who were generous enough to share what worked for them, and we should continue doing that.
The simplest way to avoid turning a recommendation into a rule may be to choose our words carefully. Instead of saying, “Every Christian should do this,” we can sometimes say, “Here’s something that’s been helpful to me.” Instead of treating a preferred routine as proof of spiritual maturity, we can consider whether the underlying biblical principle is being honored in another way. And before declaring that the Bible requires something, we can make sure Scripture actually supports the claim.
Good habits are worth cultivating.
Biblical commands are worth obeying.
Personal preferences are worth recognizing for what they are.
Keeping those distinctions clear helps us live our faith with both conviction and humility.
This subject is part of Episode 37 of the Christian Almanac podcast, God’s Timing—or Your Excuse? And Is That Really Biblical? The episode also considers how to distinguish genuine waiting on God from postponing responsibilities we already know we should address.
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