I turned on my computer this morning and checked my email. The last email I read today was from Air1.com. It was the daily bible verse from Tuesday. The verse was 1Samuel 16:7(NLT) which says: The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. That really reminded me of a certain person I’ve been hanging out with a lot lately. People are judging him based on his outward appearance and his past. They aren’t looking at the real changes I’ve seen in him in the short time I’ve been hanging out with him again. Why are we being hated on for hanging out. So he’s hurt me before but that doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. Sure we’re getting closer as friends every time we hang out but that’s because I’m willing to look past who he was to who he is on the inside. God has really been speaking to me about my willingness to accept people more openly. We’re called to love EVERYONE. That doesn’t mean we accept their sins. It means we love them and pray for them to see the mistakes they’re making and come to God seeking His forgiveness. The guy I’m hanging out with has proven to me that he’s worth me spending time with him by showing me that he has really changed and is still changing and growing. Change takes time and the mistakes he’s made are hard ones to move on from. I’ve got a similar past to him and I know what he’s going through. My message to the haters is this; remember where you were before and how God changed you. Remember how much it hurt to change and give up your past. Remember how good it felt when someone still accepted you while you and God were working things out. All I’m saying is that sometimes we need to step up and be the one person that person needs to help them stay on the narrow path.
