Behind the Scenes

Has someone rubbed you the wrong way lately? Maybe they cut you off on your drive to work, didn’t bother to say “hi!” or caused you an inconvenience. It’s so easy to be angry and pass them off; believe me I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit! But God calls us to compassion, to take a step back and consider where that person might be coming from.

In his book, In the Grip of Grace, Max Lucado reminds us to think about someone’s back story, “We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, be we didn’t see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk, but cannot see the tack in her shoe…Are they too loud? Perhaps they fear being neglected again…Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried. You don’t know. Only one who has followed yesterday’s steps can be their judge.”

Maybe if we knew what was going on behind the scenes, we wouldn’t be so quick to judge and we’d find it less difficult to forgive. In Colossians 3:12-13, Paul makes an appeal for us to be merciful and loving to others. He writes, “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” (The Message)

So join me in Paul’s challenge, the next time someone ticks you off, take a deep breath, clothe yourself with compassion, and know that there’s a bigger story going on behind the curtains.

Announcements:

• An HD Team Meeting is coming soon...look out for an evite to get the details!
• This is our last week of Case Closed in Elementary and our Moses: A Lesson in Trusting series in Kids Boost. Get ready for exciting new series starting in the next few weeks.