Articles
A Hidden Life
Many years ago, beginning when I was in elementary school, I began my lifelong desire to read anything I could get my hands on; I almost always wanted to read the newspaper, especially the Sunday paper [probably because I thought that since it was big, I would learn a lot more]. Whenever my dad was finished, I would get "my turn" and I would "read" it all the way from the front-page headline to the classified and commercial advertising section. I started with the left-side single column of one-paragraph news bits on the front page that told me of people who most usually were noted for some bold statements or actions, awards, notable achievements, and — occasionally — a story of someone whose secret life had been recently revealed, or who had done something completely contradictory to the life they had lived up to that time.
After doing this for awhile, I started noticing some of those stories were circled in pen — I presume it was by my dad. The stories most often circled were those that told of some "Father of the Year" who had been arrested for child abuse, or some local citizen who was known for their fight against drugs and gangs who had been exposed as a willing participant, or some man whose double life had been recently uncovered, with two families — two wives and two bunches of children — who never knew of the others.
What I learned from those short news stories, and from many years of experience since then, is that many people do indeed have secret lives — and they are all different. What I have learned through the years is that we all have a hidden life, or a hidden part of our life, that no one knows except us and God. I'm not saying we all are bigamists or even hypocritical disciples merely posing as Christians; but we all have something in our lives that no one knows about, and some factor that has influenced us to be who we are, or will be. Your life and mine will most likely be different, but each one of us has had unique experiences that have influenced us and shaped our thinking; each one of us has something unknown to the other.
This is something most of all of us know [but sometimes wouldn't admit, even to self], but it is also something that we should think about as we are dealing with others, regardless if they are believers or not. Consideration of the fact we don't know the hidden part(s) of their lives might help us to sometimes be more compassionate and less judgmental. An old quote from a man named John Watson is fitting: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Let's think about some of those hidden factors, battles, and obstacles others might face so we can endeavor to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave” (Eph. 4:32).
Some Have No Spiritual Education. A generation ago, parents taught their children about God and the Bible, and most religious discussions would at least be centered on Bible teaching and the proper interpretation and/or application; nowadays, not so much. Now, most young folks know nothing of the Bible and, consequently, nothing about God. This lack of spiritual training will naturally result in a lower standard of morals, and many do not see sinful behavior as sinful, but simply a different way of life. This fact is a major factor in how we, as a society, have come to accept and now legalize same-sex marriage. Even many who profess to be believers are ignorant of what the Bible actually teaches on moral matters, and some religious denominations now approve behavior God calls 'sin.'
Knowing this, we might better understand how we can have a generation or two of people who know nothing about God and His word, and who do not see things in the same light as someone who knows what the Bible actually teaches. Long ago, it was said of God's own people, “another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Jdgs. 2:10); the consequences were that they “did evil in the sight of the Lord, and…they forsook the Lord God of their fathers” (Jdgs. 2:11, 12). We should not be surprised today when a generation that does not know God also does not know the difference between right and wrong. So, when we speak with those without any spiritual education, speak to inform and educate, and not to merely condemn.
Some Have Had Difficult Lives. I was blessed to have been raised by believing parents who, though not perfect, instilled in me the need to follow God's ways. My parents did not divorce [now married 56 years], so I had both of my parents all throughout my childhood, and I had two strong influences and two people concerned for my well-being. It wasn't until I moved out on my own and to a bigger city that I began to see the reality that not everyone had the benefits of a two-parent, God-fearing household.
I also began to see the reality of life itself in people who had suffered through abusive relationships, horrific losses of parents or spouses, the destructive results of bitter divorces, the devastating effects of serious and lifelong illnesses, the far-reaching consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse, and many other situations and circumstances I did not see or have to endure.
It would be easy to simply dismiss those who have gone through such difficulties as 'foolish' and blame them for making bad decisions that got them there, but that is often simply not true; and even if it was true, must we heap upon them our disdain? It would be better to “be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36), and “comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all” (1 Thess. 5:14).
Some Have Suffered Injustices. I have also seen situations where individuals have suffered injustice and mistreatment by their fellow man and even the legal system; sadly, sometimes it happens because of racial prejudice and bias. Some have been punished without cause, some have been punished harsher than others because of race, and some have suffered bias against them wherever they go, and for no other reason than their skin color.
Even though I grew up in the South, I have never been taught to dislike anyone simply because of skin color; on the contrary, I was taught “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). I was taught Jesus was “the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2) and He “died for all” (2 Cor. 5:14), and not just for people who looked like me.
The last place anyone should experience prejudice and injustice is within the Lord's church. Some have already endured such injustices all their lives, and may be skeptical that brethren would treat them any differently; some come with a chip on their shoulder because they have never experienced equal treatment and are just waiting for the time when you or I are going to treat them like everyone else treats them. Instead of avoiding them altogether, we should get closer and prove by our words and deeds that God's people are different — in a good way.
When we come to Christ, we must change; so give others a chance to change, no matter what their background. —— Steven Harper
