Looking Deeper

Read: James 2:1-4

On a bright winter day, Evelyn stopped by her Grandma’s house after school. She found her in the kitchen, pulling a batch of cookies out of the oven.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Grandma said. “Grab a cookie. How was school?”

“Pretty good,” Evelyn said. “But there’s a new girl in my class. She just moved here. I don’t like her.”

“Oh? That doesn’t sound like my kind granddaughter. Why don’t you like her? Is she mean to you?”

Evelyn blushed. “I’m sorry, Grandma, I didn’t mean to sound unkind. I haven’t talked to her, but she just looks so grumpy! She never smiles.”

Grandma put a hand on Evelyn’s shoulder. “Would you do me a favor, honey? Run upstairs to my bedroom and get the box underneath my bed.”

Soon Evelyn was back downstairs with the box. “What is it?” she asked.

Grandma opened the box and pulled out a very old violin. It was dirty and missing parts, and all the strings were broken.

“Oh, ew!” Evelyn exclaimed.

Grandma smiled. “Yes, this old thing has been through some rough times. I haven’t touched it in years. Tell you what—come back in a week and I’ll show it to you again.”

The next week, Evelyn was back. “I want to see that violin again,” she reminded her grandma. “Did you clean it up some?”

“Yes, I did,” Grandma said. “In fact…” She pulled the violin out of a case and handed it to Evelyn. “It looks like a different instrument.”

Evelyn gasped. “Grandma! This is beautiful! I had no idea.”

"It just needed some love,” Grandma said. “You know, Evelyn, I showed you this because I thought it might change your mind about the girl from your school. Sometimes people seem mean or grumpy because they’ve been through rough times or are having a bad day. They need love and care, just like my old violin. That’s one reason the Bible says we shouldn’t judge by what we see on the outside. Everyone, no matter what they act like, needs Jesus just like we do, and He wants us to show them His love by caring for them.” Grandma gave Evelyn a wink. “See if you can’t make that girl smile tomorrow.”

Evelyn smiled. “Thanks, Grandma. I will!”

–Lucy Alessio

How about you? Do you know someone who doesn’t seem very likable from a distance? Instead of holding it against them, maybe you need to get to know them. God commands us not to judge people by how they look or act but to treat people equally and show love to everyone. We all need Jesus, and He died for our sins when none of us were very likeable. Follow His example by showing everyone His love.

Today's Key Verse: Stop judging by the way things look. Be fair and judge by what is really right. John 7:24 (ERV)

Today's Key Thought: Love instead of judging