Thought for 20 September

Thought for Monday 20 September John 7:24 ERV Stop judging by the way things look. Be fair and judge by what is really right.” It can be too easy to fall into the trap of judging other people by our own views. Looking at the outward appearance and deciding we don’t want to interact with someone. This is not only unfair, but it also goes against the very teachings of Jesus. I will always remember when Benny and I took Alex and Andrea to North Berwick for a day by the seaside. Benny was ‘chasing’ them and Andrea fell (nothing unusual) and hit her mouth. Of course, there was much screaming while I tried to deal with her owie. We went down to sit on the sand and make sand castles while Benny went to get ice cream for them. While he was gone a group of bikers came along and sat quite close to us, everybody else had abandoned ship because of the crying but they had settled in for the afternoon by the look of them. I admit that I was very wary of them and was mentally shouting for Benny to hurry up so that we could move. The next thing I knew another guy came along from the other direction with ice lollies for the kids because they had heard the screams and noticed her swollen mouth. The rest of the afternoon was spent with six leather clad bikers making sandcastles with two children and having as good a time as the wee ones. That was when it really came home to me about judging others by the way they look. Jesus didn’t look at the appearance of other people, He accepted everyone as they were and He expects us to do the same. Could somebody be judging us? Maybe by our height, weight, dress, colour or faith, the list is endless. There is always something that could give a ‘reason’ for judgment and if we use our standards to judge others we have no right to complain if we are judged. And we will be!!! Prayer Lord Jesus we thank You for teaching us Your ways and ask Your forgiveness for our inattention to Your word. We sometimes forget that we are no better than anyone else and, like them, we need and ask for Your help to keep us on the way You have shown us. Amen.