To The Bible: Luke 6:37 NIV
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
LET’S TALK
Sandra wondered why everyone looked at her funny as she passed; some even gave her a wide berth as she came down the hallway. As she hurried to his class, a message on the notice board caught her eye; it had her picture on it, and she was shocked at what it said. Someone had posted a false and ugly story about her and, apparently, the whole school had read it and formed their opinions without checking if it was true.
Sometimes, when you read or hear things about people in the media, it’s possible for you to have all kinds of wrong impressions about them. But remember that not all of those things may be true. I learnt a long time ago never to believe every negative story I read or hear about others. Instead, I act like Jesus, who doesn’t judge by appearances or decide on the basis of hearsay (Isaiah 11:3 MSG).
Don’t believe all the stuff you hear about others. Learn to see people through the eyes of love and cherish them for who they are and for the good things they do. The ability to genuinely love and appreciate people is one of the gifts you have as a child of God. Use it to make your world a better place to live in.
Go Deeper: Psalm 15:1-3 GNB, Ephesians 4:31-32, Titus 3:1-2
Pray
Dear Father, thank you for showing me a more excellent way to live. I make up my mind today to appreciate the good in others, and not believe hearsay about them. Thank you for helping me achieve this, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
Act
If there are people you have formed a negative opinion of or acted unfriendly towards based on something you heard about them, repent today and change your attitude toward them.