The first time I saw my husband, he had a black eye. My immediate thought was, He sure is cute, but I’ll bet he’s trouble. I better stay away from him. I imagine God getting a good chuckle from this first interaction. He knew what Bryan would mean to me in the future, but I didn’t.
Later, I learned the real reason behind his questionable appearance. He was a college athlete and the black eye was from playing competitively during practice earlier that day. We laugh about it now, but I can’t help thinking: What if I had let my inaccurate assumption about him prevent him from becoming my husband? What a tragedy that would have been to my now-happy family of four.
I wish I could tell you I’ve learned my lesson about judging based on appearance alone, but it’s something with which I still struggle. I wonder if you struggle with this tendency, too? Perhaps, like me, you’re tempted to make inaccurate assumptions based on gender, race, age, and even personal style.
It’s so easy to assume that we won’t have anything in common with those who are different from we are, so we don’t make an effort to connect at all. But what kind of beautiful relationship could God be trying to give you if you only opened your heart and mind to it?
This is an excerpt from “How To Stop Judging By Appearance Alone” written for Crosswalk. I’d be honored if you’d visit their site to continue reading about how we can focus on what’s inside and see everyone as He does.
