When was the last time you felt someone watching you, only to have them turn away quickly, when you caught their eye? It can be an awkward moment, but it can also be an invitation to engage a little with someone who seems drawn to you . Maybe just a little acknowledgment is all that is needed. We usually know when the Holy Spirit is giving us a nudge in that direction because He will swing the door open, and then we get a chance to step a bit closer.
I have heard different people say they enjoy people watching, but I think there is much more to this than just watching, especially for believers. We are watching and being watched, and for this reason it becomes reasonable that we want to reflect a certain demeanor. If we look at others with a critical eye it will likely be noticed immediately, as judgement is not easily hidden. We have all felt the eyes of judgement on us at some point, and we all remember it as being very uncomfortable. It can make you want to turn and flee, and even as you are leaving you can feel those eyes following you. I bet we can all remember a time when we felt we were being scrutinized too closely, how it was hard to shake the feeling both during and after, and how even now we can remember it in detail. Such is the danger of allowing ourselves to take that position of judgment. It is both painful and not easily forgotten, and sometimes the wounds can run so deep it can affect a persons entire life.
The word of God is very clear when it tells us not to judge, and it clearly states the outcome if we do.
Matthew 7:1-2 NIV
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you too will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
We have an opportunity to turn this around when we look at people with love and not judgement. Even as I sense the eyes of a woman on me with uncertainty as to what she is thinking, I can be the one to turn the situation into a blessing as I engage in a spirit of openness and truth. I will say it works more often than not, and our exchange may even have helped in fostering healing in the process for us both.
1 Corinthians 4: 4-5 NIV
“ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”