That Guy Always Sleeps in Church
That family is late again. You know the one. They never seem to get to church on time. Rushing in last minute as the pastor is walking up to the pulpit.
They didn’t sleep in.
They didn’t forget it was Sunday.
They are not disrespectful.
They have 2 kids with special needs.
That 5-year-old boy never gets dressed up for church. He always wears the same t-shirt and hoody. You know the one who always bounces in the pew? Constantly makes repetitive noises and causes a distraction?
He is not undisciplined.
He doesn’t have lazy parents.
He is not a bad listener.
He has a sensory processing disorder.
The 60 year old lady who almost never comes to the worship service. You know the one. The one who is at small group study on Wednesday evening, but not the worship service?
She is not sleeping in.
She is not hardening her heart.
She has social anxiety.
That teenage girl always escapes from the crowd when the service is over. You know the one who rarely smiles or makes eye contact? The one who answers your questions with monotone single word answers, and sits alone drawing in her notebook?
She is not rude.
She is not standoffish.
She doesn’t hate people.
She has Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The 20 something man who consistently nods off during the worship service. You know the one, who is all energy in the foyer, who loves to chat? But as soon as the sermon starts, his eyes close.
He didn’t stay up too late.
He doesn’t drink alcohol on Saturday nights.
He isn’t bored with the sermon.
He has a sleep disorder.
The middle-aged guy who skips church services every other week. You know the one who disappears from the fellowship hall in the middle of communal lunch? The one that you can’t tell which mood he’ll be in from week to the next?
He is not backsliding.
He is doesn’t hate the church.
He is not aloof.
He has Asperger’s, anxiety, and depression.
We judge each other for the clothes we wear. For the cars we drive. For the houses we live in. For how our kids behave. For how we spend our money. We judge each other for things that we frankly know nothing about.
We gossip.
We speculate.
We pass judgement.
We don’t know what that person is going through. We don’t know the reasons behind the action or inaction. We judge others, for what we see on the outside, but we rarely take the time to get to know the person and the situation.
Proverbs 21:2 says:
Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.
We are not Jesus, yet many times we think we are right. We almost always act as if we know. Before passing judgement, get to know the person. Perhaps your thoughts are correct, and if there is an issue or sin then deal with it according to scripture, and in love. Not with gossip, or slander or haughty eyes.
2020 is in full swing, let’s take a moment to lift each other up. Think about someone whom you may have passed judgement on this year for something you know nothing about. Say a prayer for them. Get to know them.
