FRIENDS IN HARD TIMES
One month after her surgery Anne entered into the
familiar storefront meeting room. All her old friends were there, but
they treated her differently.
She looked pale and weak, not the funny, fearless person
they knew pre-surgery. They smiled politely and got involved in other
conversations, leaving Anne out. What was going on?
The Holy Spirit told me they were afraid. They were used
to a person who looked healthy, strong, and wise. She was still the same wise
person, but physically she didn’t look healthy and strong like before. They
didn’t know how to handle it, so they didn’t talk to her. They avoided her for
several months after her surgery.
At first, I was mad at them for being so callous and
disrespectful, but then I realized THEY were the ones to be
pitied. They were missing out on a great experience. What they could
have gained in wisdom, understanding, and guidance, they had given up because
of their fears.
They just couldn’t seem to see past Anne’s exterior
appearance and perceived weakness.
People get sick and have things happen to them that
change them. That’s just a fact of life. But as Christians, we need to
give them the respect and love they need.
I was driving home from work, and Jane was in the
passenger seat. We were approaching a corner where we’ve seen a skinny,
raggedy-looking homeless man many times, waving and smiling at everyone. The
Lord told Jane to give the guy $2.00. He was so excited and talked super-fast
as he told us he had been off of drugs and alcohol for 15 days now and he could
drive, and he could work.
Jane and I both told him, “Good job!” He “God blessed” us
several times as we said the same back to him. When we drove off, we both
realized the guy was not nearly as excited about the money as he was about
having someone to tell his story to and them telling him he was doing a good
job. People want to be respected and appreciated.
Our God looks at the heart of a man or woman. When God
sent Samuel to find a king to replace Saul, even the great prophet was only
looking at the exterior:
“And it came to pass, when they were come, that he
[Samuel] looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before
him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the
height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as
man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on
the heart” (1 Sam 16:6-7).
God doesn’t look at race or nationality, male or female,
background, culture, sickness, weakness, or health. God looks straight through
to the heart, and we need to practice this too.
We all go through down times, weak times. We don’t want
to abandon people when they’re going through something. James 3:17 says: “The
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be
entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and
without hypocrisy.” PARTIALITY means having an unfair preference or bias
towards one person or group over another. God loves us all and says: “I will
pour out of my Spirit upon ALL flesh” (Acts 2:17b).
Jesus spoke to his disciples:
“When the Son of man shall come
in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the
throne of his glory…Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when
saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee?’ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?’
“And the King shall answer and
say unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me’”
(Matt. 25:31, 37-40).
When people are having a hard time, we need to be
spiritually sensitive to their situations. We need to have a little more
patience, respect, and love. Isn’t that what we want when WE feel
down or weakened?
Love, Carolyn
