There was an aged artist who lived in a small village. The
man used to design beautiful artistic works to be sold at an attractive price.
One day, a poor man among the villagers challenged the old
man saying: “You earn a lot of money from your handiwork but why don’t you
assist poor people in the village?
Can’t you see that the butcher is not as rich as you are,
but he still shares free meat to the poor people in the village?
Also, look at the village baker. He is a poor man with a
large family. Yet he gives the poor people free loaves of bread”.
The artist did not respond angrily to the accusations. He
only smiled.
The poor man was confused about the reaction of the artist
so he left him and went out spreading rumors that the artist was so rich, but
he was a selfish person who only accumulated wealth and refused to help the
poor.
The villagers hated the old artist and they all forsook him.
The old artist became sick and could not do anything for
himself but nobody among the villagers cared to visit him or helped him so he
died a lonely old man.
The days passed by and the villagers observed that the butcher stopped the free distribution of meat and the baker could not give the poor people free loaves of bread anymore.
When the butcher and the baker were asked why they stopped
helping the villagers, they said that: “the old artist used to donate
money every month to pay for the free meat and bread to the poor people in the
village. Now that he was dead, there was nobody to pay for the free food
anymore”
Actually, many people may have wrong impressions and
different opinions about you.
But do not allow any of them to influence or destroy who you
are.
Do not pass judgment on anyone based on his physical
appearance or what people say about him.
There are things about his personal life you do not know.
If you were privileged to know about them, your judgment
would surely be different.
A man died in a drinking- spot/dance hall.
Another person died
in the Church.
If we are to judge
them, we would say that the 1st man died a sinner and the 2nd man died a
righteous man.
But the 1st man entered the drinking spot to preach against
sin and the 2nd man entered the Church to steal from the church.
For this reason, you and I cannot decide who goes to heaven
or who goes to hell.
Fear God in your privacy and fear God in the open.
Human physical appearance is just a deception, therefore, forgive people and ignore their shortcomings.
Pray for one another.
Be good to everybody. And don’t cut off your relationship
with a person just because he does not please you.
Establish unity and harmony with all.
For the LORD Who created all souls, knows what each soul
conceals.
May God Bless You.
