The Black Sheep

I have a degree in Elementary Education.  Those of you who have read my profile, know this already.  The Lord reminded me of some things we had to learn in our basic courses.  One of the things we learned was "Pavlov's Theory".  His theory, in a nutshell is, you can train a behavior, be it positive or negative, by the way you act or an attitude you carry toward someone or something if it is an ongoing response.  It is called "Classical Conditioning".  Now, I say all of this to prove a point.  Your children and others around you will react to the way you view and treat them.  Let me give you an example.  I went to a funeral visitation where an elderly mother had died.  All of her children, grandchildren, brothers, and sisters, etc. were there to greet visitors who had come to pay their condolences.  All of the family was up and greeting the people as they came, laughing at old funny stories about the deceased and just having a wonderful time of visiting (she had been a Godly woman so this was not considered in bad taste), except for one of the sons.  He sat off and away from all.  The look in his eyes was of grave disappointment (in himself I am sure), sadness, and hopelessness.  As I stood and talked to one of the granddaughters she noticed me looking in his direction.  She said, "You remember my Uncle "John".  He was always the black sheep of the family!  Poor Ma- maw was always worried about him!  He has never done much but get into trouble!"  Her words caught me.  She was a granddaughter.  How did she know he was considered by the siblings to be the "black sheep of the family"?  She had heard it from them.  He was treated as one.  It doesn't take even the youngest of children to pick up on things.  In the family of God there are NO  "black sheep".  BUT, if you treat someone as though they are beneath you, someone who "just doesn't quite get it" like you do (being the spiritual giant everyone should know that you are, ahem), someone who never will meet the potential people in your "class" has met, that person in turn will act and react as you view them!  It is called in education "self-fulfilling prophecy".  People will literally live out what they feel other people think of them, especially if it is someone they love and admire.  We were taught by our professors to always be sure, even if a child had not scored well on aptitude or intelligence tests, to treat them as though they were geniuses and leaders!  They would literally rise to the place of our expectations!  I taught school for twenty years, and I can tell you for a fact this is true.  How many people are so called "black sheep" because of condescending people.  The way we treat and view others is not only to their benefit but to ours as well.  The word says, "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."  Romans 14:4 NIV.  When a person is born again, from that day forward God sees them as perfect!  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  2 Corinthians 5:17.  None of us has reached perfection in our souls.  Just as Joyce Meyer says, we are all on our way!  Be an encourager!  Ask God to show you who you have looked at as a "black sheep" and change your attitude and strengthen your love walk!  See people in their potential as God does!  Pray for the "fruit" that is not benefiting them to be removed, and leave the rest to God.  You just keep on loving, walking in humility, showing kindness, and even if a "windfall of blessings" doesn't shower you immediately, you will feel better and more at peace  with yourself and others!  YOUR environment will change and great will be your peace and multiplied will be your joy!  If you have seen yourself as a "black sheep", STOP IT!   See yourself through God's eyes, not imperfect human eyes.  Trust Him to fulfill your destiny!  You can't get there thinking you can't do it or don't deserve it.  You will only get there as you position your attitude in the place where God CAN and WILL do it!  Ask God to give you eyes that see as He does and ears to hear what He is calling you to do!  Look forward in faith for you have much to look forward to!  Have a blessed day, my friend, all day!!