Monday; July 15

Throughout history mankind has struggled with our appreciation of the value of others.  Some people have overrun other nations, enslaving them and treating them like second class citizens.  Some societies have established a caste system in which levels of people are treated differently by others and by society as a whole.  Still other people have developed a nationalistic perspective which tends to view all other nations as inferior to their own.  In all honesty, our nation has struggled with many of these issues through the years, but it isn’t just us ... people have wrestled with this since Day One.
We might think that God’s people would be immune to this type of reasoning, but since we are people, we are going to be tempted.  Sure, we rationally know that there is a natural equality in mankind, but when it comes to actually walking our walk, it can be a struggle.  From time to time it is a good idea to go back and take a look at some fundamental principles about humankind.  For example, the wise king Solomon noted, “The rich and the poor have a common bond, the Lord is the maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2).
How do we see the people around us?  How do we view those who live in the underdeveloped nations outside our borders ... those who have a different political system than ours ... those who aren’t as fiscally secure as us ... those who have different skins colors or speak different languages than our own?  When we struggle with our attitudes about others, let’s remember God’s design for the brotherhood of man.
Think About It!

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