Childish

Who am I? I am childish.

At least, that's what it says in Genesis 8:21, "Every inclination in man's heart is evil from childhood."

This struck me with how it applied with the leadership lesson from John C. Maxwell. The lesson is that we see others through the lens which we are predisposed to from our past experiences. If we never grow up, if we never shift our thinking from the way of children and more toward the way of the Lord, we will always see the worst in people. The Lord doesn't want us to view each other through the lens of evil that seems all around us. Rather, the challenge, I think, is to emulate more of Christ and see love and mercy through each other.

Imagine if we all saw love and mercy. Imagine if we all saw our fellow man in the light that Christ sees us. We would be slower to anger, rich in kindness, more likely to forgive. And maybe just maybe, we wouldn't be so cynical about the actions of others.

Perhaps being fearless means that we should live like Christ and try to see the best in our fellow man. Maybe being fearless means to love more than others think is wise - to do what others dismiss as foolish.

Dear Lord,

Please help me see others through Your lens of love and mercy and not the lens of childish evil. Lord, help me be fearless in living like You. Allow me to do as You did in loving others with unprecedented amounts of pure love.