A Fresh Look

Football coaches make lots of decisions, most often determined by watching lots of film.

It’s customary for coaches to watch every play in a game at least two times: once from the sideline camera’s angle and once from the end zone camera’s angle.

Why? Added perspective.

From the sideline camera shot, you can’t see the spacing of the offensive and defensive linemen, but it becomes very clear from the end zone camera. On the other hand, actual yardage is lost on the end zone camera angle but is apparent from the sidelines.

Life is like that as well. So often we’ll view someone through our single-lens life experiences. But that’s a skewed view. A person who may seem arrogant to us actually could be extremely shy, or a person who doesn’t speak openly about their faith or has concerns about faith may have past experiences that make that understandable . . . if we try to understand.

God wants us to avoid making snap decisions about people without getting to know them. Our initial perspectives may be inaccurate pictures of who they are.

His Promises

People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

Your own ears will hear him.

Right behind you a voice will say,

“This is the way you should go,”

whether to the right or to the left.

But I, the LORD, search all hearts

and examine secret motives.

I give all people their due rewards,

according to what their actions deserve.