Perspective

1 Timothy 1:15-16 (Living Bible) ~ How true it is, and how I long that everyone should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I was the greatest of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as an example to show everyone how patient He is with even the worst sinners, so that others will realize that they, too, can have everlasting life.

I was sitting in the truck this weekend as my husband went hiking through the woods. When I looked at those woods, I automatically thought of bugs, snakes, sweat, and mud. No thanks! However, when my husband sees them, he gets excited. All he sees is adventure. A place that needs to be discovered. He thinks, “What might I find right over that ridge?” Well, let’s be honest, he is thinking of October and sitting in a deer stand when he walks through those particular woods. However, when we go to other places, he thinks about discovering something new. I don’t know how many times, when we are traveling, he has said, “I just want to take off into that wilderness and see what I can see.” I, on the other hand, wrinkle up my nose and thank God for the air-conditioned vehicle I am in. Don’t get me wrong, I love adventure and nature, but traipsing through the underbrush and mud is not my idea of a good time. However, that is the deal with perspective. Each one of us has a different perspective when we look at something.

Sin is especially that way. When we look at our own sin, we usually don’t see it the way others may, and when we look at other people’s sin, we definitely see it differently than our own. We’ve all read the scriptures about not judging others and we can, for the most part, say we don’t judge. We love our family and friends through their sin, but what about those we don’t know, or those that we can’t even fathom sitting with at the dinner table? The murderer, the drug addict, the rapist, the terrorist, the anarchist, or the pedophile. When we look at those people, all we see is evil, someone who deserves to die in prison. What do you think God sees when he looks at them? He sees the same thing He sees when He looks at us. He sees a child that He sent His one and only Son to die for on the cross. He sees a soul worth saving and a heart that needs healing. We are so quick to think someone is too far gone to be saved, that we forget those people are still someone God wants to redeem.

We are in the midst of a spiritual crisis in this county, and all we can focus on is how angry the other side makes us. We can’t see just how broken and lost they are on the other side. As John Bradford said, “There but for the grace of God go I.” We have been called to love the lost, no matter how ugly, evil, or broken they may appear. Please know God is speaking directly to me more than anyone else right now. I have become so desensitized to the brokenness around me that I ignore my responsibility to be the light and to share that light. I have the answers to what they are searching for and all too often I stay silent. May God forgive me for my silence and judgement of the souls He longs to save and may I no longer stay silent!