Have you ever thought about walking in the shoes of those you judge? Have you ever said,
"I would do this if I were you," or "You should do this?"
Have you ever said these things about your family, children, employees, church leaders, slaves, minority, majority, spouse, business owners, caregivers, or friends? Are you even sure you would want to wear those shoes? Do you understand there is more going on behind the scenes that you have no idea about?
You may know a few things, maybe more than a few, but it is likely you do not know everything.
In most cases, you were not there initially, behind closed doors, or when everything was said and done.
It is easy to say how a pastor should run a church. How someone's marriage should go, or how to set up the family functions. The question is, do you want the responsibilities? More importantly, how is it going in the shoes you are wearing?
Everyone is taking one step at a time, learning as they go, and doing their best to figure it out.
Say you had to wear Jesus' shoes; could you handle it? Would you have done things differently, and if so, where would the world be? Would you be audacious enough to go against God and not complete His will? After walking around with a cross on your back, would you want some compassion, a little grace, and mercy? How about after being beaten to death? Could you still spread the Word of God after being betrayed? Could you hang from the cross and show love and forgiveness?
It is easy to "look in" a talk. But it is more challenging to "walk through and live it."
"Show some compassion, you never know when God will put another person's shoes on you." Alston Shropshire
