Seeing God in Others

Here is something that I know I don't do, something which I should do and something that I am going to ask God to help to start doing....




Challenge to myself......
When I see the next person wherever they may be, on the street, poor, handicapped, someone who cut me off in traffic, a fellow believer...Try to see God in them?
Really??? Is this possible? Especially to those who I believe are wronging me.

I firmly believe that God created all of us in our own special way. We each have a purpose on earth, we each have our talents and gifts that were given to us and thus, I guess this would make everyone a work of art. Every single human on this earth is special in their own right!
So then, when I meet a person somewhere and I believe they are acting in a manner that is, well, not acceptable, do I remember the above statement?

Here's a scenario, You are at a shopping centre with your family and you notice an "unkept" or a poor person walking towards you. Now you know that they are either 1.Asking for money, 2.Drunk and could cause a scene or 3.Selling something you don't want.
What is your first reaction? Do you try walk the other way to avoid them when you know they are coming to you, do you just brush them off, are you rude to them because they are "annoying"? Well, I can say for myself that I have done all of these things.
Sad, isn't it?
How about turning it around and trying to see God in that person! After all, He/She is a work of art from our God, they were made to the same perfection just like you and me....so what right do I have to be rude and brush them off.
Does God brush you off when you go to Him and ask for His blessing?
Does God try and avoid you when He sees you are just about to pray and ask Him for something?

Never!
Matthew 28:20 says: And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

God will never forsake us, ever.
So who are we to forsake a fellow brother or sister. I do this all the time. I brush off people like this and then expect God to bless my life! How selfish!

Instead of turning away, maybe we should look for God in that person. What does Matthew 25:36 say? I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

If you turn away from a person asking for help, you are turning away from God.

How do you see God in someone that is shouting at you and reprimanding you? Maybe God is trying to send you a message through that person?
Although I am not sure how one would see God in a murderer or a rapist, but people like these are still Gods work of art, they have just chosen the wrong path and turned away from God. God still made them, maybe they have never had a positive influence in their lives. (Yes, easy to say this now until it happens to me i suppose)

I am going to try and see people wearing costumes. That every person you come across is wearing a costume. That the way you see them is actually not the person they are, that the costume is some sort of outer covering, but what is important is their inner soul/heart.
I imagine the most important reason to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors is because it’s the first step to penetrating the disguise and seeing God’s face, instead. Sometimes you may never actually see God underneath all of someone’s paint and makeup – the costume is just that good. That doesn’t have to prevent you from knowing it’s a costume and behaving accordingly.

Do we have to give money to people asking for it. No I don't think so. But maybe if we give them our time, greet them, be nice is all they may want. We all have our own way of dealing with things like this, just ask Gods guidance and see what happens....
Now the hard work starts, and that's to change my bad habits and start living my thoughts!

Bless you, Amen.