Pre-conceived Idea - An irreversible Judgment
A very young mother-to-be, into the second month pregnancy was experiencing a very bad morning sickness and she needs to be in bed almost 24 hours a day. I visited her and showed my concern over her extreme condition. She declared that she already expected it this way because her mother had earlier shared with her of the difficulties during her pregnancy. Looks like she already expected to be in this condition even before she’s conceived and she did went through everything that she has expected it to be till the delivery.
Another young mother-to-be also into her early pregnancy but she was ok. Her mum has passed away and she has no knowledge of what pregnancy is all about except through reading books and also some chatting that she has with me. I told her this, “Enjoy your pregnancy because this is a gift from God.” She actually did!
Now I am not undermining some cases whereby pregnancy is difficult but to expect it even before it ever happens is an irreversible judgment pronounced upon oneself. The first lady actually expected the same for the next few pregnancies and thus developed pre and post-natal depression.
Let’s have another scenario. A young man who has pierced nose and wearing a one-sided earring, head shaved and worked in a movie house part time, came to church to worship God. Be honest, what would you do if he is seated next to your beautiful teenage daughter? After church what would you do to greet him? What question would you anticipate in asking him? OR if in come a very well-dressed promising looking young man giving full concentration to the worship service and speak eloquently with confidence, what comes to your mind? Preconceived Idea!
We are ‘educated’ by people around us as to what is and what is not without experiencing it ourselves. We don’t even give it the benefit of doubt that it may not be what we see. What we see may not justify who the person is.
I am pretty upset when a person would come to me and give a judgment about the others or him/herself even before a decent conversation or working alongside the person nor giving that person a chance to prove him/herself. I have a young Christian girl in church whom most would have consider her a free spirit and possessed an untamable behavior. Many have already passed the judgment that she will make a mess in her life. But she proved to be the most sensible girl even though in her youngish ways may have made some mistakes but these are all part of learning and growing up experiences. I trusted her fully that she will carry herself sensibly before the people and most of all responsible to God.
The young man that I mentioned earlier who shaved his head and wearing nose and one-sided earring is actually a youth pastor in London whom I knew who is very passionate about young people’s ministries. He loves them with all his heart and together with his wife has established a very sound doctrine to guide young people back to God. The young people in return loved him dearly. I saw the bond between the pastor and youths and it touched my heart that he actually stooped down to their level in order to win them.
We meet a lot of people along our life path. Some we really appreciate and some we don’t. Some were already in the cold storage even before they are given a chance to cross our paths and yet for some we just knew that they will be our friends.
Sadly, those whom we trusted may turn out sour and those whom we least expected became our greatest port where we could rest our worries upon. As the old saying goes, “Don’t judge the book by its cover.”
Paul was initially the most influential persecutor before he turned the most influential executor of the gospel. Who are we to judge whether the person is qualified to serve or not to serve; to lead or not to lead; to love or not to love. If Jesus died for ALL HUMANKIND, then salvation is for ALL and we need to LOVE ALL. Smile when you read this J coz there will be someone we wish we will never have to meet again. I believe if God allows the person to cross our paths, it is for us to learn and to embrace while we have that opportunity.
So do not be too quick to pass an irreversible judgment with a preconceived idea. Allow that person to prove himself in some ways and allow God to work through that life. You’ll never know, we may have another Paul in the making and one day he/she may rock the world with the gospel. Therefore, spend some time with those whom we thought should enter the ‘cold storage’ and give one another a chance to love, to share and to encourage. J
