I’m thinking this week about our tendency to put people in buckets.
Anthropologists tell us it’s part of human nature, this innate need to divide ourselves into tribes. It’s not really judging, right?
Except, of course, it’s exactly judging, because once we place someone in a bucket, we know what “people like that” are like. And one thing we know for sure – they’re not like us.
I’ve been sort of beating myself up about this, because I know I do it too frequently. Even though I know Jesus told me to stop, I seem to keep putting people in certain buckets.
Perhaps I don’t really believe what I believe.
Then I thought about something a pastor said this weekend, a quote from Tim Keller:
The strength of your faith isn’t as important as the strength of the object of your faith.
So, I don’t have to lean on my own feeble faith. Rather, I get to rest on the infinite power of Jesus.
I don’t know how that works.
But apparently, if I’m willing to stop trusting my own strength and my own self-control, and instead trust Jesus, I might make some progress.
Hopefully you’ll find something helpful here.
At the least, hopefully this week’s posts help you reflect on your own tendency to put others in certain buckets.
As always, comments welcome.