What or Who will you see today? This question burdens and haunts me. Potentially, there will be those around you today who desperately need you to see them. They may be hurting in unique ways. On the outside, they may paste a smile or look normal; however, on the inside the person may be significantly struggling.

Do you care? Are you willing to care?

Your Lens When You Look at Others

Is it possible you see through a different lens than “person in the image of God who has real concerns, burdens, and cares”?

What lens do you use when you look or look past other individuals and people. Let me suggest some popular ones for you to consider: red and blue, black and white, rural and urban, educated and uneducated, haves and have-nots, masked and unmasked, seemingly kind or unkind, and on and on.

Possibly you see people through a lens of hurt, anger, or bitterness. Maybe you have been sinned against either knowingly or unknowingly by someone else and that sin and suffering have produced a lens through which you see, judge, and possibly even condemn others.

Challenge Your Lens – Consider These Questions as You View Those Around You

How do you see the people around you? What do you see? Who do you see?

I think of these questions:

  • Do I see people as those for whom Christ died?
  • Do I see people as people with cares? …concerns? …worries? …apprehensions?
  • Do I see people as those with interests? …problems? …concerns? …curiosities?
  • Do I see people as individuals in sorrow? …sadness? …burdens? …distress? …trouble?
  • Do I see people as ones who hope? …dream? …desire? …wish? …anticipate? …yearn?
  • Or do I not see any of these things at all? Is it possible I just see people as those who should care about me? …serve me? …work for me? …think about me? …me, me, me?
  • Or do I see people as race? …color? …tattoos? …piercings? …styles? …particular vocations? …particular lifestyles? …only those similar to me? ….only those different than me? …only those in a particular place in life? …only those who are cool?
  • Is it possible all the people around me are simply invisible to me?

For those of us who love and serve Christ, the love of Christ constrains us to carefully think through this issue.

Eyes to See People

You may know someone like my kindhearted friend. My friend is excellent at this. Eyes to see people. Voice inflection. Kind. Caring. Generous. Consistent. Sacrificial. Constant smile. Incredible attitude without judging people – most of the time. Genuine heart to encourage people. A desire to help. A desire to be a blessing.

Upon reflection, especially on those in my church family, I probably have several friends who fit most of these qualities. However, these qualities are rare. If you have a friend who is like this, rejoice!

Here’s a crazy question: Why not be a friend like this?

What about you? On this Sunday, how will you see those with whom you attend services with today?

  • Will you see the person who is discouraged and needs a word, act, or look of encouragement?
  • Will you see the person who is angry and needs someone to enter into her or his world?
  • Will you see the person who is anxious and needs a calming presence, word, or prayer?
  • Or…will you just get caught up in seeing yourself, being deceived by your own lens, or being enamored with your own image?
  • Or…is it possibly you will be around people today and think that they should see you, be concerned about you, and care about you, but you are not doing the same for them?

I certainly desire to do my best in this area every day – but most importantly at the church in the body of Christ. My own imperfections prick my heart even as I write this.

May God grant us all wisdom as we seek to see people as individuals in the image of God who are people just like us.

May God grant that to me as well.

 

Image Credit Zach Vessels

 

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