The old adage goes, “Don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” (The rejoinder being, “That way, when you judge them, you’ll be a mile away and wearing their shoes…”) More to the point, it’s a reminder that we don’t know that person’s struggles, the obstacles they’ve had to overcome, nor how far they have come from their starting point. Conversely, perhaps we might be tempted to look at someone else’s life with a bit of envy; maybe we don’t feel like we have it as together as they do (or appear to), not taking into account how far God has brought us by grace.
It is also a reminder that trajectory – where we are headed – is more important than where we are at the moment. I was reminded of this by a reading from a very wise Scottish pastor, theologian and novelist, George MacDonald, who had this to say about how God views us: “He regards men not as they are merely, but as they shall be; not as they shall be merely, but as they are now growing, or capable of growing toward that image after which He made them that they might grow into it.” Read the rest of this entry →
