Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! (The Message)
First impressions matter! Or at least that is how the popular saying goes and if you are interviewing for a job or going on a blind date or are any where else where you most likely only have one opportunity to make an impression you had better believe it. Paul knew that his first impressions of the followers of Jesus was wrong. He had persecuted them and done everything he could do scare them away from their faith and practice because he saw them as a threat to the Jewish way of life. But he had a change of heart when he himself encountered Jesus. He no longer saw the Christians in the same way. He moved from looking at the outside of people and making assumptions about the people to asking the deeper question of what was on the inside. In very simple terms he began to look for the image of God which each person carried within them. This didn't mean that Paul starting looking at everyone as if they were all right. Paul still was able to pass judgement and discern right motives among people but he was looking for something different now. He was letting people's past impact his present view of them. Paul was personally living out a new life of grace and was looking for others who were living the same way.
Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:
- If you had had Paul's experience of moving from hunting down the followers of Jesus to being one of the most prominent followers of Jesus how do you think you would look at your past?
- How much do you let people's past influence the way you treat them today?
- What do you hope non of your current friends find out about your past?
- What might you begin doing today to help you look for the image of God that might dwell within people you encounter on a daily basis?
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