If you live in Michigan, you probably know that almost everyone is either a Michigan or State fan. For those of you who don't live in Michigan, University of Michigan and Michigan State are the two biggest universities in our state, and a large majority of the people pick a college to root for in the sports games.Now, I know a lot of people from both. And usually around the time of the annual Michigan/State football game, I ask some people which team they prefer. When I get a response, I usually think Oh, I can see that. or Yea they look like that kind of fan. But a following thought is usually that they honestly could be either one and it seems just as much like the person.
Then recently, I found myself judging a person. Then I thought of the most likely explanation as to why they are this way, the generous likely explanation. But then I realized that there was a huge multitude of possible explanations, and I would most likely never know which one was correct.
I finally took a bird's eye view and looked at this. I realized that God was trying to teach me something through this. The words from scripture surfaced in my mind. Do not judge, or you too will be judged. I thought of Ted Dekker's The Priest's Graveyard. I remembered how much I promoted the book. Could I really have been that much of a hypocrite?
I realized that I didn't want people judging me, they have no idea who I am. And likewise, I have no idea who they are. Even more importantly, these boundaries didn't exactly fit, either. All humans have the same basic attributes. We are curious, we want to love, we want to be loved. Everyone has different circumstances, and everyone deals with them in different ways, and this is what allows us to categorize people? This somehow doesn't seem fair.
Let me ask you another question: what does human judgment accomplish? Nothing. In fact, it hinders blessings. So get over it! We are all humans, and we are all beautiful. Rather than point out the flaws, point out the pluses, because the ground you stand on is not a whole lot different. And if it really bothers you that much, or even if it doesn't, try to help this person move towards the better. Be bold and look beyond the boundaries.
