We have been spending a lot of time looking at those principles that help us establish a close and intimate relationship with God. Now we are looking at God’s way of establishing a good relationship with people. The Bible is the authority on how to get along with and enjoy the company of people. The world has a system for who to pick as a life partner, who to talk to, who to have sex with, who to go into business with, who to make your friends, who to choose as your mentors and the ones to train you, and who to avoid. God’s method for building relationships with people is totally different from the one the world has taught us. He doesn’t pay any attention to how good looking people are, their dress fashions, their possessions, their positions, or their personalities. He directs our attention to people’s internal condition.

God knows that people’s looks, some of their words, and a lot of their actions don’t tell us who they really are, He gives us tools that reveal what kind of a person we are dealing with.

Our justice system can spend millions of dollars and years trying to find out who is a criminal and who is a victim of a crime. It is extremely hard for them to get at the truth of who people are and what they have done.

Using the world’s system for getting at the truth about people and their deeds leaves us constantly working in the dark. However, God has a system that works with incredible accuracy and success. He helps us evaluate people based on what is going on inside them. Rather than us just trusting everyone or using external criteria to decide who to associate with and who to avoid, God helps us see the real person BEFORE we spend a lot of time with them.

Ask Jesus to help you give up the world system for evaluating people. Ask Him to open your eyes so you can see the indicators of who they really are. Pray that He will show you how to treat people based on what you see is inside them. Let Him teach you His superior system for associating, partnering with, marrying, and establishing friendships with people.