One of the lessons it took me awhile to learn was how little I know about people. I spend lots of time with people at my church, but I do not really know them. Think about the person who sat beside you yesterday (or any person, of any day, who is not a part of your family). What do you know about them?
Do you know how they came to be married, if they are married? Do you know what he did when he was younger? Do you know where they have been or whom they have known or what kind of churches they have attended? Do you have any idea what they listened to this week or what their friends have told them? Do you know what they believe?
Did they ever lose a child when they were younger? Have their buried their parents? Was his father a nice man or a cruel man, a success or a failure? When did they come to Christ? How was their family growing up? What is his job or her job, and do they like their jobs?
If they are old, what were they like 20, 30, or even 10 years ago? If they are young, what do they spend their time doing?
If you think about it for even a moment, you will see that every person has a world of secrets within themselves. You will see that all your "ideas" about how they act or what they might think are really based entirely on your ideas, not on them at all. You can never know what someone might think until you speak to them. I remember a very left-wing friend, years ago, who I thought held to ever possible left-wing position, telling me in a conversation that she considered the animal rights people to be nuts. She just did not buy into that whole portion of the far left political spectrum, although she held firmly to the rest of it.
Over the years, in many churches, I have been amazed at the foolishness and seriousness of what people believe. Too often, they can believe almost anything because the preaching and teaching in the church never really challenge them. Much too often, they pass by entirely unknown to the leaders and to others.
Before you judge someone today, before you conclude in advance that they will hold a particular position or think a particular thing, stop a moment and try a little humility. You actually do not know them as well as you would have to in order to understand them. "No one knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit within a man," the Bible tells us, and it remains true.
Do you know how they came to be married, if they are married? Do you know what he did when he was younger? Do you know where they have been or whom they have known or what kind of churches they have attended? Do you have any idea what they listened to this week or what their friends have told them? Do you know what they believe?
Did they ever lose a child when they were younger? Have their buried their parents? Was his father a nice man or a cruel man, a success or a failure? When did they come to Christ? How was their family growing up? What is his job or her job, and do they like their jobs?
If they are old, what were they like 20, 30, or even 10 years ago? If they are young, what do they spend their time doing?
If you think about it for even a moment, you will see that every person has a world of secrets within themselves. You will see that all your "ideas" about how they act or what they might think are really based entirely on your ideas, not on them at all. You can never know what someone might think until you speak to them. I remember a very left-wing friend, years ago, who I thought held to ever possible left-wing position, telling me in a conversation that she considered the animal rights people to be nuts. She just did not buy into that whole portion of the far left political spectrum, although she held firmly to the rest of it.
Over the years, in many churches, I have been amazed at the foolishness and seriousness of what people believe. Too often, they can believe almost anything because the preaching and teaching in the church never really challenge them. Much too often, they pass by entirely unknown to the leaders and to others.
Before you judge someone today, before you conclude in advance that they will hold a particular position or think a particular thing, stop a moment and try a little humility. You actually do not know them as well as you would have to in order to understand them. "No one knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit within a man," the Bible tells us, and it remains true.