When I first got saved I joined the choir at, Life Church, under the leadership of Brother Cy Harris. I was a young divorced, single mother of a very wild little boy. One Sunday, I sang in the choir and watched my sweet little man standing on the arm of the pew, out of reach of the children's director, that so kindly allowed him to sit with her, and he was surfing on one leg with both arms out for balance. The Pastor started to hand me the microphone, thinking I was going to testify, when he saw my sweet little monkey. I walked without taking my eyes off that sweet child until I got to him, grabbed him by the ear and took him somewhere private. Needless to say, he didn't surf from the pews anymore and, in my own pity party, I thought that once again the church had another reason to look down on the sinner in the choir.
You see, being raised in the South, with religious conviction, I understood that my son arriving 4 months after I got married, was a sin, and I also understood that the divorce that took place 18 months later was even more a sin. It didn't help that on the Easter morning, when I was drug into church, the day I got saved, that I had been hung over and I was only there to keep a promise, made by a co-worker, to another co-worker. Glory to God I went to church that day! So, what I am trying to say is that I didn't feel like I belonged with all of the good Godly people in that church. They never did anything to judge me and each and every one of them loved me, but the Enemy, kept reminding me that I was not good enough.
We had a revival where we focused on a different ministry each night. When it was the choirs night, Cy spoke, and then he came down and he prayed over each choir member. I have no idea what he said to the other members, but I will never forget what he said to me. He prayed specifically for me as a single mother, that the Lord would help me. He didn't pray for my sin as a single mother, he prayed that God bless me, as a single mother. He said the it must be difficult to be a single mom and for God to give me patience and provide. You see , the enemy had convinced me that all the church saw was a sinner that deserved the hard life. But, praise God, on that night, I realized that God didn't see a sinner, he saw a young woman, covered by the blood of His son, saved, redeemed and set free!
I also saw the Love of Christ poured out in the heart of a man of God. He saw me as an equal. A sister, glory bound, to sing in a heavenly choir. I sure do hope they sing, Victory in Jesus, in heaven! Okay, that was off subject.
When you see a sister or brother in Christ, do you see them as your equal or are you only looking at their sin?
Father God, thank you for the reminder tonight that we are all sinners, and by the Grace of God we can be set free to live in Glory for eternity. May my eyes only see people the way you do. Amen.
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