How many times in our life have we known something to be absolutely true only to come and find out that it actually wasn’t? We always assume things in life based on what we see and think from afar without actually taking the time to investigate and find out what actually is true. How many times have we looked at someone and thought the worst simply because of what we saw with our physical eyes without knowing that person from the inside first? Doing things like judging a book by its cover does nothing to help us know what’s inside the book. If we took the time to read its contents and find the treasures that are buried within it, we will be so sad that we might have missed that opportunity to know that book from the inside instead of just looking at it from afar and thinking the worst based on its looks. That is why our intent should always be pure and our motives never have a pretense. We should love others as God loves us; without judgment and without condemnation. The Bible declares in 1 John 4:12 “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (Romans 12:9-21) (Luke 6:31-38)

If we call ourselves followers of Jesus then we must obey His commands. Jesus tells us to be merciful, to turn the other cheek, to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We can’t proclaim that we are Christians and yet act as the world acts. We have to love the unlovable, forgive the unforgivable, see past someone’s faults and try our best to bring healing and restoration so that both of our lives may become elevated and rise above so that we can be proud of how we interacted with our fellow man. What is our life worth if it is not used for good? What will our legacy be if we are not remembered for being kind, loving, generous, wholesome and pure? These are attributes that each of us should be striving to call our own so that when our time on earth comes to an end we will be proud of how we spent our days. (James 1:22) (Matthew 5:38-48)

I encourage you to see that life is short and eternity is long. The good that we do today and tomorrow will witness on our behalf long after our deeds were done. You can witness to this fact yourself by remembering the good that someone did for you. How grateful were you? How blessed were you because of someone else’s blessing upon your life? We each can remember a moment when we were on the receiving end of the blessing so now let us implement that same gesture of kindness and love into the lives of others. Let us be harmless as doves in our dealings with one another and let our life’s impact be significant spreading kindness, love and joy to all those whom we are fortunate enough to cross paths with. (Galatians 6:9-10) (Matthew 10:16)

I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to do your best to never judge a book by its cover, but investigate and open up the book first to see the blessings that are within it.


CHECK IT OUT

Joan, the town gossip and supervisor of the town's morals recently accused George, a local man, of having a drinking problem because she noticed his pickup truck outside the town's only bar one morning. After all, she reasoned, it was a logical assumption. 

George stared at her for a moment and said nothing. Later that evening, he parked his pickup truck in front of her house and left it there all night. 

Why is it that so many of our logical assumptions are just plain wrong? And why do we want to act as if they must be true? 

In an age long before the Internet, a young American at a banquet found himself seated next to the eminent V. K. Wellington Koo, a Chinese diplomat. Completely at a loss as to what to say to someone from such a different culture, this young man ventured, “Likee soupee?” After all, he assumed, don't all Chinese speak in broken English? 

Mr. Koo smiled and nodded. Later when called upon to speak, Wellington Koo delivered an eloquent talk in exquisite English, sat down while the applause was still resounding, turned to the young man and whispered, “Likee speechee?”

Another assumption that was completely wrong. And I can relate. I regularly assume things and act as if they must be true.

Do you know one of the reasons why red roses are so popular? Men keep buying them. They assume that all women prefer red roses when flowers are in order. And when asked their partner's favorite color of rose, men usually say it's red.

But what do the women say? When women are asked what color of rose is their favorite, they are more likely to answer that they prefer yellow, white, black, peach or lavender. And when asked what kind of flowers they would prefer to receive from that special person, the answer is generally not roses at all. Try daisies, tulips or gardenias. The age-old assumption that most women like red roses best is simply not true.

Sometimes I think it has taken way too long, but I'm learning to ask about these things I always knew were absolutely true. At least I assumed so. When my wife is silent, I've always assumed she was angry with me. But now I'm learning to ask. And I'm discovering that her aloofness sometimes actually comes from the fact that she is worried about something not related to me at all.

Assumptions. We all make them. They're too often wrong and can easily get us into trouble.

So here is what I've learned: when in doubt, check it out. And if I'm not in doubt, I still check it out. I'm sure I know what she likes? I check it out. I believe I know what the silence is all about? I check it out. It's only logical? I still check it out.

We may think we know. But what we know may not be so. Best to check it out.

This may sound simplistic, but I am always amazed how often we are in distress over things we assume to be true. Yet nobody has checked them out. And I also know that when I check my assumptions out, I can expect to be surprised.

By Steve Goodier


Read and meditate on these scriptures:

Matthew 12:35-37 Jesus declares “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

Proverbs 17:9 “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.”

Colossians 3:22-25 “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

Romans 12:10-16 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another...”

Matthew 7:1-4 Jesus declares “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ”

All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.


Today’s Selected Poem: THE CHOICES WE MAKE
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/inpoem139.htm

Today’s Selected Testimony: A BETTER WAY
Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony22.htm


In Christ’s Service,

Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry