“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
Mark 6:34 (NIV) How do you know if you’re looking at life from God’s viewpoint? Think about the way you see other people. This is a great test of your spiritual maturity—better than asking how much of the Bible you know, how often you go to church, or whether you serve, tithe, or pray. Life is all about love and relationships. So if you want to gauge your spiritual maturity, think about how you see other people. Maye consider some pointed questions. How does God see your spouse? Valuable. Acceptable. Lovable. Forgivable. Is that the way you see your spouse? How about the stranger at the grocery store? The person who cut you off in traffic? The beggar on the street? What do you see when you look at other people? Do you see them as irritations or burdens? What about the people you work with? Do you see them as enemies? Competition? Or do you see them the way God sees them? All people matter to God. It doesn’t matter who they are, what they’ve done, or even what they believe. Christ died for them. Jesus loves them. God has a plan for every person, and he wants them to have a relationship with him. The Bible says in Mark 6:34, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (NIV). That’s the way Jesus sees people. And that’s the way you can grow to see people too. You can learn to have compassion for your own family as well as for your neighbors, your community, your country, and the rest of the world. Let your spiritual vision get stronger as you learn to see people the way Jesus does.
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“The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.”
Psalm 34:17 (NLT) You’ll hear it from many different places these days: People are basically good and unselfish. It’s their environments that turn people’s hearts toward evil. Unfortunately, that theory just doesn’t match with what we see in human nature. If you’ve ever been around small children, you get this. They’re born with a selfish nature. Phrases like “Feed me!” “Care for me!” and “I’m the center of attention” are the rule rather than the exception. Human injustice throughout the world and in our own communities also shatters any misconception we have that we humans are all basically good. Left to our own devices, we oppress other people, hoard our food, and generally think about ourselves much more than anyone else. And then it seems as if God looks at the humanity he created and says, “Okay, you think you’re basically good? You think human nature is basically unselfish? I’ll step back and let human nature take its course in the world. We’ll show you what happens when I’m not in the picture.” What’s true in children and society in general is also true in our lives today. We're treated unfairly all the time. But here’s a secret you may not have considered: You treat people unfairly from time to time as well. We all do. Our inclination to treat one another unfairly doesn’t surprise God. In fact, it shows why we need Jesus. The reality is, without God in the situation, people treat each other inhumanely and that’s the heart of injustice and unfairness in our world—from despotic dictators to crushing poverty to racial tension in our communities. One day God will judge every person on the planet for the injustices they commit against others. Because God is just, there must be consequences for how we treat others. That means we need mercy. All of us have been unfair with others from time to time. We’re not just the victims of injustice. We’re perpetrators, too. This unfairness shows us we need Jesus. God wouldn’t have needed to send his Son to die on the cross if people were generally good. The vast injustices in our world make it clear that humans can’t live moral lives on their own. Next time you’re treated unfairly, let it be a reminder: Every person on this planet needs Jesus. “As believers in our Lord Jesus . . . you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.”
James 2:1 (GNB) Racism begins with a lack of love. You can’t love someone like Jesus does and harbor prejudice in your heart toward that person. It’s impossible. We must love everybody the way Jesus does. Jesus gets very specific about this in John 15:12: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (NIV). How does Jesus love us? Unconditionally, freely, completely, and continually. So how should you love other people—even those of other races? Unconditionally, freely, completely, and continually. Love doesn’t mean we approve of everything someone else does. Jesus doesn’t approve of everything we do, but he still loves us. The Bible says, “As believers in our Lord Jesus . . . you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance” (James 2:1 GNB). Although a person may look to be homeless, you should treat that person as you would a CEO. Love is very practical. A couple has seven kids, four biological and three by adoption from Rwanda. Knowing the three kids from Rwanda would likely have experienced racism, They were asked recently how they believe Christians should deal with race. They responded with very practical ways to love people of other races. 1. Don’t be colorblind. They like their color, so you don’t have to ignore it. Just don’t make decisions about them based upon their race. 2. Don’t tell people who’ve been treated unjustly that you understand. You don’t. Nobody knows the injustices others have faced. To say you do is simply being dismissive. 3. Remember that your history is not the same as their history. Someone born in inner-city Chicago and a person born on a ranch in Gallup, New Mexico, have different histories. And history matters. 4. Don’t ignore history or say, “Get over it.” Pain matters. These three kids with whom I was talking were orphaned because their parents were killed in a genocide. Your parents weren’t killed in a genocide. You can’t possibly understand their pain. 5. Fight all stereotypes. Everybody in the world feels stereotyped. But stereotypes are never true. Let’s commit to seeing each and every person as an individual, not someone stereotyped because of their skin color, creed, or nationality. Together, when we love like Jesus does, we can eradicate racism. Are you ready to start? |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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