It is the New Year, time for resolutions, facing our demons and being honest about our "stuff".
So in that vein of thought, I admit that one of my biggest faults is being a judgmental, hypocritical human being! I mean, I readily admit that I am a pretty good judge of people. For example, I know a person that I am going to like right away and likewise I can tell the person who I am going to loathe in just the first few minutes of meeting them.
That is the problem I guess.
I mean I have a lot of grace and empathy for people I do like, for people who are like me and who think similarly to me, however, those other despicable, ignorant people on the other hand, Aaugh!
Which makes liking or even tolerating people difficult especially during this past election season, or when having a discourse on political or social issues which are dear to my heart when they are on the opposite side of the discussion from me.
While we are on the subject, social media is evil right? It brings out the vile disgustingness in us in the very least!
Judging..we all do it right? We all quickly make our assumptions about people without really getting to know them or their story. It isn't always fair and it isn't always right but it is like a natural instinct to quickly label people and place them in their appropriate containers.
Sure, we need to be decerning in our interactions with people and take appropriate caution with people, but there is a difference between that and in unfairly making assumptions about them.
I know I need to be careful in assuming that because someone was raised a certain way, with certain beliefs, and ideals, that I know them. Also, that I can make conclusions about them and understand what and why they do what they do.
I see this happen when it comes to a persons faith and their convictions. Just because someones belief in God has a certian label or name we think we know them and their deeply personal, sacred faith.
My faith in God and my understanding how it might work will always be different from yours because of my life, faith and church experiences. This is important to remember, but scary for people of faith to implement.
We all see the truths of life and thus our faith through the lenses of our lifes experiences. Even within my Christian faith, men and women, and different cultures and even regions of our Country for that matter interpret scripture differently according to their lifes experiences.
As a parent this is something that I must consciously consider. My children and especially my daughters will associate the charactoristics of God in the way I have conveyed love, security and self-esteem into them.
And I shake in fear at the thought? God have mercy!
Just because someone was raised in a church, temple or synagage or a "traditional Christian home" sadly doesn't mean that they saw or experienced the true love and grace of God. We can grow up in a Church or Christian home and unfortunately not know God at all, or perhaps we know a very distorted, or God forbid, morbid version of Him.
Unfortunately, people are often offered a very confusing model of faith. It isn't a firm foundation after all, but like a home improperly built or falling apart it must be torn down to its very foundation. Then after the foundation is found secure we can begin building solid walls, rooms and roof.
That is what I am constantly trying to do in my life and that of my family, build our faith well!
I believe that God will have so much understanding and Grace for His children. He knows us, knows our hearts and knows our histories. And who amongst us gets it right?
A God whom we could understand exhaustively, and whose revelation of Himself confronted us with no mysteries whatsoever, would be a God in man's image, and therefore an imaginary God, not the God of the Bible at all.
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