Tip Number Twelve

When/if you ask God to let you see the truth in all people and situations you find yourself in (which is not for everyone), also ask for an extra measure of love for those people and those situations. Case in point, tonight, during CT's message, God pointed a few things out to me. Here is our conversation (for the most part anyway)... and if you think I'm weird for having these kind of conversations with God, than you don't really know me that well. haha:

God: see what I did for you there on the cross? See the love I just showed you?

Me: yes. 

God: Now, why can't you show that love to them?

Me: they're so fake, God! They say one thing and think something else. They are fake with me and fake with you!

God: I don't love them any less for that, neither should you.

Me: but they don't treat me very nice. and the lip service they pay you is ridiculous!

God: that's not for you to judge.

Me: but I can see it plain as day!

God: I still love them. I still love you and you aren't exactly perfect, ya know. 

Me: I know I'm not, but at least I try to be real with you and with other people.

God: I don't rank sin. Sin is sin. Love them like I love them. That's your job. 

Me: How do I do that? It's not exactly in my nature. 

God: Let me love them through you. 

I don't remember when I started praying to see the truth in things, but I think it was in college when I felt like people were lying to me and I didn't like it. I prayed time and time again for God to let me see the truth in people and situations. As I grew in Him and in my own knowledge and life experience, I began to see those things. Part of it is reading people, but also it's God letting me see things about them that are not obvious. Things more abstract than even Mr. Sherlock Holmes would notice, matters of the mind, spirit, and heart. More often than not, I can look at a person and know things about them just from watching them, even the people who try to hide how they really feel behind humor, good looks, or anger. 

I don't say this to brag or to warn, but to remind you (and myself also) that just because you see something in someone, that doesn't mean that you get to treat them any differently than if you hadn't seen it. It's easy to say that because you saw someone being fake, they are a fake person all the time. Or that because you see this certain characteristic about a person, that that characteristic defines them. God defines people, not us. God judges people, not us (only in very specific situations are we to judge a fellow Christian). And even God waits until they die to judge them, why shouldn't we? 

Just a thought.