It really stinks to be pre-judged. I’m a Christian, and to some people that means I’m automatically a jerk! They don’t even know me yet, but their prejudice makes the decision that I’m just “one more hypocritical Christian.” (For the record: I HATE ALL PREJUDICE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY SO DOES JESUS!!!). I have learned that there is always a root cause to someone’s hate. When we follow Christ, we have an incredible way to deal with prejudice and hate: to see the bigger picture through the eyes of Jesus, and then to overcome evil with good!
Let me tell you about a recent encounter I had. For a solid week I shopped daily in a small retail store to buy supplies for a special project. On the first day I was in the store, a lady who worked there asked me what I was doing (because I was buying an unusually large amount of stuff). When I explained it was for a Christian ministry for homeless people, she immediately turned up her nose and rolled her eyes. She told me all about the hypocritical Christians she knows…and that come into her store. She made several rude comments, and I’m not gonna lie, my hackles went up!!
Help me Jesus!
I bit my tongue and had this thought: “In this world, am I one more hypocritical Christian? Or am I gonna follow Jesus and choose His ways, even when I’d like nothing better than to “open up a can” on this lady?!”
I just listened, and at the end of her rant thanked her for her help. The next day I started praying before going in the store! We must put the armor of God on! By the 3rd day she cracked a smile when I came in and said, “Oh you’re back.” I just laughed and nodded. At the checkout I asked her what her favorite candy was (I admit I was trying to possibly buy her candy to sweeten her up) but she wrinkled up her nose and said, “I hate candy.” However, she commenced to tell me all about her current situation in her life. It hit me, “she needs someone to listen to her with love.”
The Reward
So the last day I went in to get supplies, she was actually waiting for me (I think happy to see me!). I lent an ear to her once again, and then I prayed for her. Here’s what really struck me: if I had responded to her based on how she made me feel (angry), instead of how God was leading me (to have grace) I would have been one more hypocritical Christian to add to her list!! That whole experience would have gone down in my history as a negative one. But because of God and His ways…I have a new friend! Prayerfully, hopefully she’ll be a future sister in Christ! God gave me His love to see her through His eyes.
His love is bigger! Bigger than prejudice, hate, bitter roots, past hurts…
I just want to encourage you: none of us are perfect, Jesus alone was perfect, but when people act in a way that is negative, with God’s help we can turn it into a positive!
Hebrews 12:14-15 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
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