I sat and listened to the answers: "Sometimes I think.....", "Because I look at people as if....", "I used to think....", "It's hard for me to think of a criminal as....."
While agreeing with them all, I noticed a recurring theme in all of these answers and could not help but think that it is the root of majority of our problems with other people: We look at others through our own eyes. "I think", "I look", "I used to", "It's hard for me." See the pattern?
Paul instructed the Corinthian church not to compare themselves to those around them, but to God. Wouldn't that solve most of our relationship issues? Even our pride?
When someone has hurt our feelings, or done wrong to us or someone we love, what is our natural reaction? Mine is to harbor hurt feelings and then judge that person when they do not react in the way I feel they should react. This, in turn, causes dissension with that person and can affect our relationship as well as those close to us. This problem becomes our focus when we interact with this person.
How much different would the situation be if we looked at the person and situation through God's eyes? What if we saw that person how God sees that person? I have done things unintentionally and, as hard as it is to admit, sometimes intentionally that hurt God. What is His reaction? While it hurts Him, He still loves us, He still wants a relationship with us.
The book of James tells us "As much as is in you, live peaceably with all men."
Are we to ignore our hurt and continue to be walked over by that person? No. God gives us guidelines for confronting a problem with someone.
I learned today that I need to look at others the way God sees them - as how/who they can be, not by what they do. I mess up daily, but God shows me how I've messed up and He lets me try again. He knows I'll mess up more and hurt Him in the future with my sin, but He still has a relationship with me.
Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him, yet, He cultivated a relationship with him for 3 years. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, yet He brought him into His inner circle of disciples and taught him for 3 years.
How different could our relationships be with those close to us and those we come in short contact with throughout the day if we looked at others through God's eyes rather than our own?
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