My daughter Julie was visiting Yellowstone National Park, a place noted for its beauty and grandeur. But one part of the park told a different story.

She looked out over one huge expanse of land and at first saw nothing but death. The scars of a forest fire were evident as soot-covered tree trunks, burned free of their branches, marked the landscape. It was a sad and ugly scene!

Then she took a closer look. She saw that death did not dominate the scene after all. On the ground she could see the beginnings of new life. Small trees were sprouting up. Grasses were growing and a thick undergrowth was beginning to take hold in the once scorched and barren land. New life had taken root.

Sometimes we make the same mistake with new Christians. When we look at them, we're unable to shake the old image of the way they were prior to new life in Christ. We focus on the residue of what was there before they met Him. But when we get to know them, we see life. We see the spiritual growth they are experiencing.

When we look at other Christians, let's not dwell on the burned-out stumps of their former life. Instead, let's celebrate and affirm the exciting new growth in their lives.  — Dave Branon