Daily Devotional for February 8, 2017
Different Is Good
Abe stopped short when he and his friend Laramie passed a bakery window. “Wow!” he said. “I’ve never seen so many different pastries.
I want to try them all!”
Laramie joined him at the window. “Me too!”
As they were looking at the window display, an older couple strolled by. Their clothes looked strange to the boys, and neither Abe nor Laramie could understand the language they spoke. Laramie frowned as he and Abe walked off. “I don’t like foreigners,” he said when they were out of earshot. “You can’t understand their language, and they dress funny. I think when foreigners come here they should try to be like us.”
“That’s silly,” said Abe. “They could just be here for just a short visit. If you went on a trip to a foreign country, would you start dressing the way they do over there? And would you quit talking until you learned their language? Even if you moved there, I doubt you’d start speaking a new language to your family members!”
Laramie ignored Abe’s questions. “Look!” he said. “A store for stamp collectors! My grandpa collects postage stamps.”
The boys peered through the window at the display of stamps. Abe noticed the prices, and his eyes widened. “Why do some of those stamps cost so much? They’re nothing but a little piece of paper!”
Laramie laughed. “Some stamps are expensive because there weren’t many of them printed,” he explained. “That makes them valuable. Grandpa says some of the most expensive stamps are ones that were misprinted. They cost a lot because they’re different from other stamps.”
Just then the foreign couple walked by. “Hey,” said Abe, “if it’s so great for stamps to be different, why should all people be the same? Maybe being different makes them interesting too.” Laramie shrugged. “And what about those pastries we saw?” Abe continued. “You wouldn’t want all food to be the same, would you? Admit it, it’s good for things to be different—food, stamps, animals, you name it. So why wouldn’t we want variety in people too?” Abe looked over at his friend. “Besides, remember the sermon at church last week? It was about God’s love for everybody. Every person is important to Him—and they should be important to us too.” – Daryl B. Knauer
How about you?
Do you judge people by the language they speak or the way they dress? By the country they come from or the color of their skin? God doesn’t. He created people to be different and loves them all the same! He also sent Jesus, His Son, to give His life for each one. He loves and values every person for who they are—and wants you to love and value them too.
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