"What We Often Don't Know"

Acts 3:2

"Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going in the temple courts."

I consider myself a relatively objective person who is not very judgmental and has a fair sense of compassion.  I am known for helping others and for giving to the poor and needy.  Yet, I must confess that I still, more often than I would like to admit, sometimes totally misread people and misidentify their life situations.

When we see someone in need, never conclude why or how.  We do not know.  I have thought people were inebriated when they had other maladies.  I have thought people were "on drugs" when they "needed meds".  I have thought people wouldn't work when they couldn't work.  I have thought people to be mentally ill when they were only emotionally distraught…etc….

We should believe that someone is lame from birth because they are.  We should not conclude that if someone is carried somewhere to beg, it is because they are working for someone else.  We should not assume that a lame person begs at the "Beautiful Gate" just for effect.  We don't know their story.  We only know what we see. 

We should always pray before we conclude anything about anybody.  I try to remember, “There but by the grace of God go I."  I always try to assume the best.  We all need to be very careful what we think or assume about anybody, anytime.  Remember, we often do not know as much as we think we know.  I am working on this more and more. Join me.

In His Service with you,
Pastor Fred