I prayed recently, “Lord teach me to see people as You see them” as we often sing songs on the radio or at church with something to this affect but do we ever follow through? I didn’t want them to be empty words and I didn’t want to ignore the Holy Spirit either. You see, unwittingly, in praying that prayer I really gave permission to God to show me how I really see people. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror of my heart.

You see, unwittingly, in praying that prayer I really gave permission to God to show me how I really see people.

As I write this Baltimore is still living high from the Superbowl win of the Ravens just a few hours ago after, what I heard, was a great game at the end. While I had to work, I admittedly was following the score on my phone and secretly pulling for the Ravens but with some hesitation. I definitely wasn’t rooting for the 49′ers because I’m an old fashioned east coast guy. I can’t pull for a west coast team if an east coast (besides the Pat’s) are playing. While there is much hoopla going into this Superbowl and many story-lines for commentators to comment on, the biggest by far was that of now retired Ravens superstar linebacker Ray Lewis.

While Ray Lewis was involved in some shady dealings in a fight that led to a murder indictment he was never convicted and now he is a proclaimed Christian. This didn’t sit too well with a lot of Christians and ruffled a few feathers and even, admittedly my own at first. I sat on one side of the fence judging this man based on a crime that he was never found guilty of and it was a haughty stance. Then a friend on Facebook posted this comment:

“For all you ” Christians ” out there that wanna put Ray Lewis on blast and calling him names cause he proclaims to believe in Christ but is a murderer. Paul wrote 2/3 of the New Testament and he killed a lot of Christians.. Answer that one ?”

Conviction hit me deep as I was clearly shown that I was wrong in judging this man. Who am I to judge him at all? I don’t know this man from Adam…I can only judge by the fruit I see not by his past. As he claims Christ that means God has forgiven Ray of anything in his past and he is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We as men have done a great job by judging this man from a crime that he was never charged of but we as a community have failed to see this man for his heart; I have failed. The word’s of my friend showed me in an instant how I had passed judgment on a man that God has deemed as innocent as He has deemed you and I as born again believers. I am reminded of what the Lord told Samuel the prophet: “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).”

What do you see in your mirror?