A PERSON Without Adjectives

(Photo credit: Somewhere on the internet ... I downloaded it to my computer several years ago)

  "Speak out on behalf of those who have no voice, and defend all those who have been passed over. Open your mouth, judge fairly, and stand up for the rights of the afflicted and the poor." (Proverbs 31:8-9, The Voice)

What is your attitude toward the poor? I have observed all of the following:

1. They are poor because of their own choices. 

2. You can't trust them. 

3. They won't do anything to help themselves. 

4. We should help them to show that we are compassionate people.

 5. We should feel guilty for what we have since there are so many who have less. 

6. We should make sure they have a Thanksgiving meal or a Christmas tree.

Not only have I observed those, I have felt those.

For me, the biggest challenge is to see a poor person as a person. I have the same challenge with a rich person. Or anyone who is different from me. It is such a temptation to evaluate based on outward appearances.

It happens in church (and it is nothing new): "If an affluent gentleman enters your gathering wearing the finest clothes and priceless jewelry, don’t trip over each other trying to welcome him. And if a penniless bum crawls in with his shabby clothes and a stench fills the room, don’t look away or pretend you didn’t notice—offer him a seat up front, next to you. If you tell the wealthy man, “Come sit by me; there’s plenty of room,” but tell the vagrant, “Oh, these seats are saved. Go over there,” then you’ll be judging God’s children out of evil motives." (James 2:2-4, Voice)

Certainly there are ways that we, as followers of Christ, can stand up for the rights of the poor and afflicted and speak up for those who have no voice. But maybe the best starting place is too see someone as a PERSON without adjectives. Not a rich or poor person. Not an educated or ignorant person ... Not a happy or grumpy person ... Or any other modifier. This is simply a PERSON, created in the image of God and loved by God enough that Christ died for him or her.

If we are willing to start with a blank slate and let the rest unfold through conversation and interaction, we will know better how to respond effectively to each individual.

So, what do you think?  

I'd love to hear your response to my ponderings.  Leave a comment below.

Hiding in the Shadows

 (Photo credit: "It's tough being born in the shadow of greatness" -www.hobodrifter.com)

 "Stay focused on what’s above, not on earthly things, because your old life is dead and gone. Your new life is now hidden, enmeshed with the Anointed who is in God." (Colossians 3:2-3, The Voice)

Sometimes I think we miss the truth that a personal relationship with Christ is not about making our lives better. It is about making our lives NEW. "Your old life is dead and gone. Your new life is now hidden, enmeshed with the Anointed".

In his classic devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers says, “We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life 'hidden with Christ in God' in our everyday human conditions."

I believe that the ultimate purpose of the Christian life is to display the character of Christ in every action, every word, every attitude. That means that I am always living in His shadow.

What can you do today that people might see His life displayed in you?

 Leave a comment below to join in the conversation.

I wrote another post on this topic on my Life Matters blog on February 1, 2011.  You can check it out here. 

A Living Sacrifice

                           

"Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete." (Romans 12:1-2, The Voice)

How can we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice? Think through this prayer with me:

Lord Jesus,

Open my eyes to see You

Open my ears to hear You

Open my mind to know You

Open my heart to love You

I offer my hands to serve You

I offer my feet to follow You

I offer my lips to praise and proclaim You

How might our days be different if we came to The Lord with that attitude each morning?

How will You offer Yourself today?