What if

What if
     we stopped judging?
What if we stopped stereotyping people altogether?

Imagine we were only able to see the inside qualities of a person, and none of the outside. Or maybe, you could actually see both. I think we would be surprised (and sickened) at how often we judge someone by their appearance and write them off; when in actuality, they could be far different from what we thought of them to be.

Since when does what we wear have to automatically put us in some sort of category?
Since when does how 'put together' we are, determine our social status?
Since when is a shy person no longer important enough for our time?

We all have heard the old saying of, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Meaning, don't judge a person before you get to know them. But in reality, how many of us actually follow that advice?

And I'm not necessarily just talking about people you've been introduced to. I'm also referring to people you have not, and will not, meet.
Here's a prime example (for everyone in Grants Pass, at least).
FAIR.
HONESTLY, how many of us judged someone? (For everyone else outside of GP, just think of a place you've been with a lot of people.)
Places like fair serve as a wonderful example. It would be very easy to stereotype people at events like this. Not gonna lie, I even catch myself doing it. It's almost second nature to us, is it not?
But what if, instead of seeing someone for who they appeared on the outside, we searched for who they might be on the inside? I realize this is not practical in all situations, but how about when it's not, we just stop stereotyping!
Instead of seeing the "preppy teenage girl," we saw someone with the same insecurities and needs as ourselves.
Instead of seeing an "unkempt, overweight parent," we saw someone with hopes and dreams just like ourselves.
Instead of seeing the "kid looking for trouble," we saw the way God loves them, just like He loves us.

God used to walk with Adam and Eve in the garden and they did not see each others' nakedness. It was when sin entered the world, that they felt the need to cover up-- AKA we began to judge each other. We began to look on the outward appearances of others instead of looking on the inside.

When I was thinking about all of this, a song came to mind. This song is kind of unconventional, but bear with me. It's called "One of us" by Joan Osborn. A few lines from the song say,

     "What if God was one of us,
     Just a slob like one of us,
     Just a stranger on the bus trying to make his way home?"

 I'll try and connect the dots for you. 

The lyrics are saying, what if God was just like us? He lived like us, thought like us, talked like us?

And from there (maybe this will be a stretch for some of you), I imagine the opposite. 

What if we were like God? (Don't loose me here!) What if we stopped looking on outward appearances, but were actually able to look at a man's heart? What would be radically different in this world?

  For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." Samuel 16:7

"Strip Me"

I had a revelation this week that I wanted to share.


Some of you may or may not know that I've been going through some rough times emotionally. When things go wrong with relationships you care about, plus other added stressors in life including how to pay for college, starting a new job, etc-life can feel a little flipped upside down. I'll ashamadely admit, that I have let my emotions and thoughts overcome me a lot lately, which in turn has led to less productivity in basically every area of my life.


One of those bigger areas is my relationships with others.


Something I care about deeply in life is mentoring others, whether it be indirectly or directly. But when my emotional state is below average, that is the last thing on my mind.


The other day God told me something about all of this. He let me know that yes, I could stay in the state that I was in-- but what good would that be for others? In what way would I be helping anyone out, lifting up the family of Christ, or blessing others? Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it maybe benefit those who listen."
 He reminded me that there are some specific people that have been on my heart, and if I don't take the time to reach out to them, the opportunity is going to pass by. And I would be kicking myself in the head if I let that happen. I know (and HE knows), that if I don't take the opportunities while I have them, I might not forgive myself.
It was just a friendly reminder that I can't let anything get me down and get in the way of living a life for God and serving Him.


I accidentally left my Bible in the car last night, but didn't realize it until I was getting into bed. So instead of opening up the Word, I decided to read a little bit in a book that I put down a few months back.
The page that was bookmarked for me to start up again on couldn't have fit better.


Here's an excerpt from the book titled "The Power of a Whisper" by Billy Hybels:
     "Although the dark nights of the soul I've encountered have been perhaps the most difficult points of my      life, they have taught me three truths about God for which I am thinkful. Regardless of what dark nights you      face, see if these truths resonate with you."


It goes on to list the three truths as well as a page or two about them. I will share each truth as well as the one thing that stood out to me so strongly from each one.


Truth #1: God is near.
Without retelling the whole story, there was an illustration of a little boy who wanted to go into the living room to get his blanket that he had forgotten; but because it was dark, he was afraid! As he was halfway down the hallway, he called and asked his dad to come walk with him. The story says, "Well who could say no to that? I'd join Todd right where he had gotten stuck, and together we'd walk the rest of the dark hallway, hand in hand."


I was reminded of one of my favorite verses, which says, "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." (Isaiah 41:13)
I'm not sure why, but the idea of God taking a hold of my hand like that is one of the most intimate things. 


Truth #2: God seeks.
In this section, the author told a personal story of when he was exhausted, terribly sick, and lonely.
      "...I still had twenty-nine days to go before I could sleep in my won bed, and I distinctly remember walking through an airport in Singapore thinking, "Nobody knows I'm here, and nobody cares."
     When I checked in for my flight, I learned that my gate was located near the very end of the terminal, about a thrird of a mile down a dimly lit, crowded hallway. 'Great,' I muttered to myself."
As he began to trudge down the hallways, God reminded him of a verse (Isaiah 62:12).
     "The verse refers to God as the "sought-after" one, but in a fleeting moment in that crowded hallway, in a busy airport, serving five million people, on an island in the middle of Southeast Asia, the King of the universe picked me out of a teeming crush of humanity and whispered, "Tonight, it is you who are sought after. I am seeking after you."
     "God is near, But His presence is not passive. He seeks us out so that he can encourage us to keep going, to move ahead, to live. This divine reminder revived my spirit."


As his spirit was revived, so was his moral; he noticed an elderly woman struggling with her luggage and offered to help. He helped her to to the gate, and when it was time to board, picked up her luggage, escorted her onto the plane, and stowed her bags for her. 
     "We both know it was not a world-changing event for this woman that I helped her with her bag. But the small acts of service definitely squared better with my calling to minister in Jesus' name, and they had taken my focus off of myself. The pity party I'd been engaged in ten minutes before had lost its appeal."
     "God has good plans for us to accomplish."


That last sentence spot-on affirmed what I was already thinking in my own life!


Truth #3: God speaks. 
     "...throughout the course of her unparalleled ministry, Mother Teresa suffered spiritual dry spells, times when she didn't detect the love or companionship of God. Despite the fact that she knew God was there, she didn't feel Him in a visceral sense. Month after month, and in some stretches year after year, Mother Teresa became increasingly despondent because of God's silence; she desperately needed to hear a whisper from Him, but she would continue to wait in vain." (Now pay close attention to this next part.) "In spite of His silence, Mother Teresa remained devoted. "Even thought I don't feel His presence, she wrote, "I will seek to love Him as He has never been loved."


Wow. Well isn't that a challenging thought?!
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I realize I haven't really mentioned anything in relation to the title of this post yet. The title is actually borrowed from song by Natasha Bedingfield. It is one of my favorite songs, and it also titled "Strip Me"; here are some of the lyrics so you can get a feel for why I used it. 


Everyday I fight for 
All my future somethings 
A thousand little wars 
I have to choose between 
I could spend a lifetime 
Earning things that I don't need 
But that's like chasing rainbows 
And coming home empty 

And if you strip me, 
Strip it all away 
If you strip me, 
What would you find 
If you strip me, 
Strip it all away 
Ill be alright 

Take what you want 
Steal my pride 
Build me up 
Or cut me down to size 
Shut me out 
But I'll just scream 
Im only one voice in a million 
but you aint taking that from me

I feel the same way in what I've shared. God reminded me that even if it seems like the world is caving in, what matters most? What will be left of you when you're stripped of everything you've known? How will you live your life when nothing seems to be going right?

And I decided the answer to that was that I was going to live it to the fullest. I'm not going to let "A thousand little wars..." let me ".. com[e] home empty."

Because my Satan might try to get me down, but he can't take my voice away.