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Apr 08, 2025 06:00am

Dry Ramen

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I was talking with a friend one day who is a foster mom, and she shared with me that her foster child eats his ramen noodles dry.

I’m sure the look on my face told her everything she needed to know, and she felt the need to explain.

“That’s how his mom used to make them.”

My heart sank. Ugh. There are so many things I could say, but let’s just leave it at that.

With my friend, this little boy has a good home, a roof over his head, lots of toys, clothes, and love. And lots of choices for things to eat. But sometimes, that’s what he chooses—dry ramen. Even though softening the noodles with boiling water and adding flavor to them is really how they are supposed to be prepared and would taste much better, this is what he chooses.

I’m sure there are many things a foster family deals with, and this is a tiny, tiny piece of a big puzzle in that child’s trauma and past.

Does the foster mom ridicule him or look down on him because of that choice? No. She loves him and reassures him about what is available to him in their home. She prepares lots of dishes to allow him to try new things, but if he chooses that, she doesn’t judge him.

Romans 14:1-9
“Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive His approval.

5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor Him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. 7 For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8 If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.”

Just like it was important for the foster mom to know the context surrounding her new child’s choices, we need the context for this passage for better understanding.

Paul wasn’t talking about someone just choosing to be a vegetarian. He was talking to the believers in Rome and instructing them on how to guide new believers who are young in their faith. Many of them were coming to Christ but had once been a part of a religion that sacrificed meat to idols. They knew what happened to that meat. Only part of it was burned in the temple; the rest was sold in the market. If a person had left that religion to follow Christ, they felt it would be wrong to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. But how would they know the “good meat” from the “bad meat”? It looked the same. So sometimes, they went to extreme measures to keep themselves from eating that meat. They chose to eat only vegetables.

It didn’t mean they should be ridiculed or judged for their decision. Paul instead instructed the believers to be encouraging to them and not argue over such opinions.

Part of the Jewish faith celebrates certain festivals and follows laws concerning foods and practices. But if they come to faith in Christ, they are no longer under the law. However, even in their new freedom under grace, it may feel odd to them, or they may experience guilt if they don’t celebrate the festival.

For believers, we were all new to the faith at one time or another. Allow the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to open their eyes and minds to understanding and wisdom. Guide them in truth, respect them, and listen to them. We all grow in our time—the exact amount of time the Lord has ordained. Be patient. Be kind. Teach in love.

I like how my Bible commentary says this: “Certainly, some issues are central to the faith and worth fighting for, but many are based on individual differences and should not be legislated. Our principle should be: ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in everything, love.’”

There’s more than meets the eye in all of us—past trauma, decisions, and a life lived that would probably make others cringe. Let’s handle people with care. You never know where or what they are coming from when they surrender their hearts to the Lord.

Where are you in your walk with Christ? If you’re “stronger” in the faith (as Paul says), be encouraging to those “weaker” in the faith. If you are a new believer or you’re still discerning the truth and want to learn more about Christ, I’d love to help you. Go to follow.lifeword.org to learn more about becoming a follower of Jesus.