Don't judge a book by its cover:

by Ivan Venter
(South Africa)

One day I was going about my things when suddenly I came to the realization that I've been looking at people from the outside in, in short I was judging the people by what I saw and not by whom they were. While this may sound awful and terrible that I could do such a thing to people that I was suppose to love, I did it without knowing at first what was going on. Kind of like driving on the free way noticing everything happening on the road while all of the sudden you look down and realize that you were driving way over the speed limit. The same thing happened to me, I was going at such a pace through life that I did not at first realize the way I was looking at people.

The Holy Spirit with all His wisdom and grace did however wake me up out of my slumber and led me to a place of renewal and restoration. You might want to ask the question why there was a need for restoration and renewal within me? Shouldn't it be the other way around, that the people that I misjudged should receive the renewal and restoration, at the end of the day they were at the receiving end of my judgment.

While this is true, it is also true that my character in Christ suffered by this experience. This is the one thing that children of God do not understand about sin in our lives. The moment that you let that sin (whatever the case may be) come into your life, it becomes a part of you. And it will stay that way until you deal with that sin in a real way. That's why children of God go through life struggling at best to get through the day, they're carrying this heavy load of sin with them.

Luk 11:34-36 The light of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is sound, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is evil, your body also is full of darkness. (35) Therefore take heed that the light in you is not darkness. (36) Therefore if your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the shining of a lamp enlightens you.(Modern King James Version)

Looking at the above mentioned verse with what we are talking about the parallel becomes clear. We know that Jesus is the light and that the darkness is satan and his works. When we let sin or darkness into our lives we make it a part of ourselves without even knowing the full implication of our deeds. That's why Jesus at almost every opportunity that He gets, warns the disciples to pray, pray and once more pray, filling themselves with the Holy Spirit keeping their minds in check.

Reading this insight in Proverbs gives us a better understanding of filling ourselves with God.
Pro 6:10-13 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down; (11) so shall your poverty come as one who travels, and your need like an armed man. (12) A worthless person, a wicked man walks with a crooked mouth, (13) winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, teaching with his fingers; (Modern King James Version)

Isn't it interesting that the passage ends up talking about a wicked man. While this passage has always been interpreted concerning money, I'm taking a stab at it looking at our hearts and the inside rather than the outside of a man. If we let sin loose in our lives neglecting repentance, we are basically sleeping in our spiritual lives. This slumber when continued will leave us empty and poverty stricken. Our character will get poisoned to the point that we become wicked men.

If we on the other hand look to God and fill ourselves with His Spirit and repenting our sins we will throw down the bondage of sin in our lives letting the light of Jesus shine through us into a dark and desolate world. This starts with a ear, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
I am going to ask you the same question that I always ask myself: “What are you looking at.”