Recently I was talking to a friend of mine about a certain recording artist. My friend was telling me that she really didn't like the artist, even went as far as to say she hated him. "Why?" I asked. "I've heard he's real jerk. Very cocky," was her response. Her reasoning struck me as funny. Her opinion of the artist wasn't based on his music at all, but on his character, of which my friend had no first-hand knowledge. If she had said that she didn't like the guy's music I could've respected her view, because at least she's heard the music. Experienced it for herself. But how could she judge this man's character when she's never even met him? Her experience in this situation is far from first-hand. It's more like "I know a guy who heard from somone else...," or "Someone told me that they overheard or saw from a distance..." That's hardly fair. She doesn't know the real story. Perhaps this artist had a particularly stressful day and lost his cool with someone once....it happens! Could it be that a casual observer misinterpreted his actions?
It happens to me all the time! Picture it: Walmart, 2 kids, missed naps, getting hungry, but mom has just a few more groceries to get before heading home. In that instance anyone who passes me would make all kinds of assumptions about my kids and my parenting that are completely off-base. Has anyone ever misinterpreted something you did? Didn't you wish they would have just given you a chance to explain or that they would've known your heart?
It got me thinking, how many people think of God the same way that my friend thinks of the artist or the Walmart shopper thinks of me? Made judgments based on what they've heard. Written Him off based on third-hand information that is wildly distorted. They know someone who was hurt by someone who "called themselves a Christian" (forgetting that Christians are humans too and screw up occasionally, but God is perfect). They've heard about "God's way" and want no part of it (when really they've heard isolated scriptures taken completely out of context). My hearts aches for these people! Oh, I wish they would just give God a chance to explain Himself and know His heart. Well, there's good news for all of us. God is not some rock star that you have to give an arm and a leg to buy a backstage pass just for chance to meet Him once in a lifetime. The bible tells us that we have a 24/7 all-access pass to Him personally. Jesus tells us that we are not considered as servants who only have limited knowledge of the boss' work, but we are friends with the boss himself (John 15:15)! We can know him intimately.
Have you judged God from afar? Then why not take the chance to know Him personally? Even if you don't believe in Him yet, ask Him to show Himself to you. Have a first-hand expereience. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8).
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