Jesus was mocked and even hated in Nazareth. They said, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? We know Him and all His brothers and sisters. Where did He get this wisdom and these miracles?” They scorned Him. And He confronted them:
“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his hometown” Luke 4:24.
I’ve seen both sides of this. Sometimes people who knew you ‘when,’ who remember the ‘BEFORE’ picture, refuse to accept that you have changed; they can’t accept the ‘AFTER’ picture.
Both of my kids have faced this. I even faced it recently when a teacher from high school said he could not believe that I would read books. (Imagine!—but he remembers sophomore-me).
But the thing is, we all do it. We don’t let people grow up. When they rededicate their lives to the Lord, sometimes we think, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ Or when a squirrelly kid grows up, we continue to see him as he once was. And of course, that’s not fair.
Let’s be people who give GRACE to others—even if we have known them well for years. Let’s give people the space they need to grow up and become the person God made them to be.
Never let yourself believe the cynical lie that says people cannot change. Be shrewd and savvy, but remember that God can change anyone.
God, help us walk in your GRACE, and help us give grace to others, knowing that You can change them. Finally, give us courage to be someone NEW, even when our friends doubt us and try to drag us back down.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 