Matthew 7:1-2
Don’t condemn others, and God won’t condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Someone shared a link on Facebook to an article* about a book called Where Children Sleep…written by English-born photographer James Mollison. This book features photos of children around the world – and a photo of their bedroom – along with a caption that tells the child’s “story”. If you click the link I have provided, you can see some of the photos. I hope you will find them as interesting and compelling as I did…and that it will get you thinking about how we perceive (judge) others.
If we are totally honest, I would dare say that most of us have looked at someone else and made a judgment call. We have assumed everything from how wonderful their life must be – based on their thin, muscular, model-like appearance…the nice clothes they wear…the fancy house they live in…and/or the expensive car they drive and the jewelry they wear. We have decided that their lives must be close to perfect, because they “have it all”…or can afford to get it. We don’t stop to consider that they may have problems we cannot begin to imagine…from health issues (their own or a loved one’s) to abuse - to financial woes. They may be drowning in debt…severely depressed…or lonely. How many well-known celebrities can you think of who cannot maintain personal relationships…suffer from an addiction…or seem to always be in some sort of trouble?
The person who tells you that everything is wonderful may be covering for a lifetime of heartache and misery. The man with more money than he can begin to spend in a lifetime may be one of the loneliest people on the planet. The person who is happy and upbeat all the time – the life of the party – may be harboring all sorts of sadness and secrets behind closed doors.
We look at those who are disheveled, unkempt – even dirty – and we assume they are impoverished…maybe even lacking in intelligence. Quite honestly, we’ve become so accustomed to seeing people among us who have abused drugs that we look at someone who is thin and/or has bad teeth and skin…and we assume they have “done meth” or abused some other substance. We look at those who are obese and readily assume they have “food issues”. We see a child have a “melt-down” in the grocery store or a restaurant, and we assume that his/her mother or father is a bad parent who cannot control the child. We assume that people who don’t go to church on Sunday either aren’t Christians – or they are lacking in faith and Spiritual discipline. Sometimes we make false assumptions about even our own family members…out of such emotions as jealousy or spite - or even true ignorance.
My point is that we cannot always see what is going on with another person with just a casual glance. We have to get to know them a little…to pay attention to what is happening in their lives…to ask questions and listen to the answers…to be present in the moment when we are with someone and truly care about what is happening. And always…always…we must remind ourselves that we might not have the whole story!
Think about how others perceive – and judge – you! Think about what they know about you…and what they couldn’t possibly know. When you dash into the store for something without taking time to shower and look your best, remember that others may make an errant, snap judgment based on your appearance. When your child shows out in public, some will deem you a “bad parent”. When you get caught up in the heat of an emotional situation and behave badly, some will judge your faith.
Even on your best day, someone will find fault with you – and you are likely to judge another person, as well. You have two choices…you can either choose to seek revenge and/or form opinions about others…or you can choose to let God do the judging and try to see each person as someone of value and merit – with qualities both good and poor, just like the rest of us.
The Bible tells us to operate in compassion and understanding…to love others and see them as God sees them – warts and all, yet important. Take stock of your life and see where God is calling on you to be less judgmental and more compassionate. It’s time to look at others and imagine “where – and how - they really sleep”. Let this be the day that you cut someone a little slack – and feel God’s peace in the process.
©2014 Debbie Robus
* http://pulptastic.com/james-mollison-where-children-sleep/
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