ASSUMING makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me." (Excuse my language.)
Think about how many people you know. How many people do you have established in your mind or memory? How many people do you understand from experience, do you have a certain perception about?
How many people do you know?
I think this term is terrifyingly (is that a word?) overused. To know someone takes years and years of investment. Best friends spend their whole lives getting to know each other, marriages never get old because husbands and wives are constantly learning about one another.
I think to say we know our 1,000 Facebook friends or the 200 people listed in our phone, or the girl sitting at the table behind us in the restaurant, is a severe OVERstatement.
This has been my conviction lately because of the way we, especially (and unfortunately), followers of Christ consider ourselves so much "holier than thou," and judge those who are different or strangers, is unsettling to me. The way we can walk into a place and pass judgement almost instantly on the first people we see (whether we admit it or not) is exactly the way opposite of what God called us to do.
Not to mention that we never, ever know what someone is going through or what they have been through or what they have to go home to every night. We never know what demons they are fighting, or what thoughts they are trying to quiet. So not only do we know very few people, we judge many people, and we think we "know" complete strangers. I think I know we've got our stuff messed up.
SO, as a challenge to my own convictions and my brothers and sisters in Christ, before you laugh at someone, turn your nose at them, look away when they stare at you, or assume you've got them typed and figured out, remind yourself that 1. you are not holier than thou, 2. you have NO idea what that person deals with, and 3. you could probably learn a lot from them. Try smiling and maybe even saying hello. It's amazing the way God can use such a small act for a huge impact.
P.S.- I'd love to hear of the verses that come to mind when you read this.
It reminded me of the woman caught in adultery that was brought before Jesus in John 8. In verses 14 and 15, Jesus told the Pharisees that they had no idea where he came from or where he is going, essentially saying they knew nothing about him. Then he said that he passes judgement on no one, all of this after pointing out that none of the Pharisees were without sin.
ReplyDeletethis is great, jess!! and very much so convicting. 1 samuel 16:7 is the first verse that comes to my mind. man looks at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart.
ReplyDeleteI thought of that verse too, Tiffany. Thanks to both of you for the input! Keep it coming!
ReplyDeleteThe first verse that came to mind was Ephesians 4:29 saying "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
ReplyDeleteAs well as in Matthew 25 when Jesus says what you have done to the least of these you have done to me also. THAT really make me think..
ReplyDeleteSam, those are really good verses. I hadn't thought about Ephesians. Thanks for bringing that to mind!
ReplyDelete