3:195 – How Do You See the World?

#faithbites #faithjourney world

Setting

This morning, after taking my dog for a walk, I let him hang out on the deck. He sat there motionless just staring at the world. I wondered what he was looking at. Was it the birds in the trees or the bunnies running around? Maybe he was looking for bugs or squirrels or even leaves. I have no idea what he was looking at. More importantly, what was he thinking? Was he thinking the world is a good place or bad place? Is he happy with his life? Is there something we could do to make it better?

I know, I know, he’s just a dog, right? But it makes you wonder.

Now, how do you see the world? Is it a wonderful place filled with great people and a few bad ones? Or is it a scary place filled with bad people and a few good ones? Should we be excited to live in God’s creation or scared of it?

The answer isn’t black and white. We need to see the grays in between. We do have a choice though of how we see things. Also, we need to think about how others see the world. For if we don’t know our neighbors, how can we love them?

Scripture

• Matthew 24:12 – Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
• Hebrews 12:14 – Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
• Hosea 5:15 – Then I will return to my place
      until they admit their guilt and turn to me.
  For as soon as trouble comes,
      they will earnestly search for me.

Reflection

Sin is everywhere. We live in a world that is broken and has been since the beginning. All people sin, but does that make them a bad person? We know that no one is good if Jesus himself says he wasn’t good. But where is the middle?

We are given clear guidance on how to live: work at peace with everyone, love your neighbor as you love yourself, confess your sins, and love God. We don’t have to be perfect to be good

What does this all mean? When we look at the world, we can see it as a broken place and all people as bad. That sets us up to see everyone as an other, someone who isn’t like us, and someone we can’t love. Or, we can see everyone as a child of God who is broken and trying their best to make it through, just like us. This isn’t easy to do, but what would happen to our world if we all thought like that?

As I was writing this, my dog came downstairs and started barking at me. I was ticked off as I was writing but still wondering what he was thinking. I have a choice now. Was I going to yell at him for barking or try to figure out what he wanted? Yelling would be anger which is a sin while trying to figure out what he wanted could be a form of love. I chose both but tried to not be angry.

This isn’t easy, but let’s see how we can change the world by looking at how we see the world.

Challenge

For one day, see the world as filled with people who are good but sin. Look at the positives of the world rather than the world as evil. Then come back and think about how that day made you feel? Was it easy to do? Did you find yourself slipping back into seeing people as inherently evil?

Prayer

Father God, we know that the world is a broken place filled with sin and temptation. We also know that you made us in your image and even though we sin, through your Son, we can be saved. Help us focus on the capacity of good in people and not the evil. Let us turn toward you for hope, grace, and love rather than toward sin, evil, and destruction. You made this wonderful world, even though there is sin, there is still greatness for us to live in. In your name, we pray, Amen.