GOD IS NOT A JUDGE OF APPEARANCE!
- Key Verse
"But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)..." (Galatians 2:6a)
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Central Truth
No matter the skin color, clothing, or financial status, God is not partial. He cares not where we have been, but who we are now in Him!
Reflections
My husband and I like to travel, but don't like to drive long distances. To make things more interesting, we make up trivia games and questions to get to know each other better. One of the questions was "who is your hero?" My answer was easy; the Apostle Paul. His amazing transformation and life-changing events through Jesus Christ made him a new creation.LeRoy's answer was "LeRoy Shepherd." I rolled my eyes. A little pompous, don't you think? He was not referring to himself though; it was his father, LeRoy Shepherd, born in 1899. When we arrived home, he showed me his father's yearbook. His dad graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1917. The yearbook is still in amazingly good shape. As I thumbed through it, I noticed that there were no African Americans, until I came to the end of the book. The "coloreds" were placed in the back, not in alphabetical order. They were not able to participate in school sports, clubs, or the school newspaper. There was one exception though; the "Colored Boys Club." This organization's chief purpose was to help the poor and the needy, with some attention given to discipline of the colored students. Indeed, things have changed in our world today. Still, many judge by skin color and various "exterior" things. My husband has spoken of his father swimming in a public pool, the water being emptied and then refilled when the white children began to swim. History has not been kind to many, but especially to those who appear different. As far as we've come, there are still biases that are greater than "skin deep." May God give us a heart of acceptance to all!
Our Father is not interested in "appearance management." Be yourself, because God loves you as you are!
Discussion Questions
- What prejudices have you encountered in social situations?
- What other Scripture supports the notion that God shows no partiality?
- In what ways can we begin to accept those who appear different and make all feel welcome?
Comments
The views expressed under “Comments” are solely
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Grace Community Church.
charlene pearman
February 23, 2010 07:45 AM
Lori, This is a very power-punched devotional. Thank you so much for your insight. Love to both you and Leroy.
david settle
February 23, 2010 08:11 AM
Our differences are first appreciated or conceptualized as young children. In a society and/or world which seems to naturally default towards "balkanization" or disparate/separate groups on so many levels, I think parents are in a unique position to change that tendency. By proactively seeking diverse experiences for our children in their neighborhood, school, church, or community, we hope that being around "all kinds of people" becomes desirable to them as "the norm."
Alanna Davis Payton
February 23, 2010 08:52 AM
Bravo! Thank you for your courage and candor. The fight for justice and equality is certainly not over, as your mistreatment attests. And wouldn't it be great if Christians would also drop their prejudice against women!
Denise Wall
February 23, 2010 08:59 AM
Thank you for your wise words. I am broken hearted for the condition of man's heart toward man's skin color...may God show them the truth in His word!
Doug Quinn
February 23, 2010 09:04 AM
Lori, thanks for sharing a very powerful devotion about the journey you and Leroy are experiencing. I have always had immense respect for Leroy, and am very impressed with you. God bless!
Rod MacIlvaine
February 23, 2010 09:08 AM
Lori, Fantastic devo this morning. It immediately turned my heart toward our little grandson that our daughter is planning to adopt from Uganda. Our daughter and son in law have been approved for the adoption. And even though we don't know who this little guy is yet. I pray for him often and think about how we can welcome him into our family when he arrives. I also thought about Revelation 5:9, and heaven, where people of every ethnic group and language group and nationality will be totally unified in worship before the throne of God. Thanks. Rod
Dana
February 23, 2010 10:13 AM
Lori, aren't we so blessed that God looks at the inner heart and not outer as the world does? You both exhibit Christ like character in your lives and we are united as one through Him who loves us all! Amen!!! Dana
Karen
February 23, 2010 10:42 AM
WOW! Lori, your devotional speaks to me on many different levels. Generational prejudices because of race, social stature, religious preferences,etc., still run rampant today. How do we change this? We can make that difference, as David Settles, above said, by beginning with ourselves and our children. We need to walk in Jesus' footprints. Jews and Gentiles? No, he saw a person. Tax collector or fisherman? No, he saw a future apostle. Colors or races? No, he saw future family in heaven - and as you know - here on earth.
Lynn Carpenter
February 24, 2010 04:48 PM
Lori, Great devotional with a strong message.
Connie Collins
February 24, 2010 11:56 PM
Lori, your words really touched my heart. Our daughter's three adopted sons have been accepted with open arms! I'm thankful that we are family...regardless of color or race!