In our last few visits we studied Ezra 4-6. We saw how the enemy tries to frustrate God’s people into stagnation. We also saw how God’s servants, confronting His people with His Word, can reignite vision, passion and obedience. Great things will be accomplished when that happens.
An interesting truth emerged in my mind as I was trying to understand what made the difference both negatively and positively. Two searches were made: one, to find out if the city of Jerusalem had been a rebellious place, and the other, to find out if a proclamation to rebuild the temple had in fact gone forth. In both searches what they were looking for was found.
I have written this in my Bible’s margin: “You often find what you are looking for. Your bias can be supported by history if you are only looking for what supports your bias. Objective searches can lead to very interesting discoveries and often result in unexpected outcomes.”
The Bible would be a good guide in any search you might make about the history of a person, family, church or movement. It will help you from being too quick to judge others. It will also give you a healthier perspective when challenged to be patient with someone.
If you are intent on finding flaws in others, you won’t need to look too hard. All of us are flawed. Before you look for flaws in others, be sure you take the beam out of your own eye.
Ask God to enable you to see others as Jesus would. Look for their potential. Try to discover some of their past successes. Affirm rather than criticize. Love rather than antagonize.
