Different Measurements

The other day I was listening as my son worked through his math lesson. The teacher was explaining different units of measurement, and then she mentioned some of the measurements that were commonly used in Bible times.

She spoke about a handbreadth, a span, and a cubit.

A handbreadth was the width of four fingers pressed together. A span was the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand was stretched open. A cubit was the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger.

As I listened, something struck me.

I have often wondered about these measurements because they would not be exactly the same for everyone. My handbreadth is different from yours. A child's span is different from an adult's. A man's cubit is usually longer than a woman's. Yet these measurements were used every day.

Why? Because God made us all differently.

We have different heights, different strengths, different abilities, different experiences, and different gifts. Just as no two handbreadths are exactly alike, no two people are exactly alike.

Imagine a wooden plank lying on the ground. I might measure it and find it to be fifteen handbreadths long. You might measure the very same plank and count only eleven. Does that mean one of us measured incorrectly? No. It simply means that the measuring tool was different.

That thought made me wonder: how often do we measure people using our own "handbreadth"?

We look at someone else's abilities and compare them to our own. We judge their progress by our standards. We evaluate their struggles through our experiences. Sometimes we even decide whether they are worthy of our friendship, respect, or fellowship based on how closely they match our expectations.

But perhaps the problem is not with the person we are measuring. Perhaps the problem is with the measuring tool we are using.

The Bible reminds us in 1 Samuel 16:7:

"For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

God does not measure people the way we do. He sees beyond appearances, beyond abilities, beyond successes and failures. He looks at the heart. He looks at you as a loving Father would look to His precious child. Our value is not measured by how others 'measure' us, or how we 'measure' others, but by how God sees us. As sons and daughters.

When we remember that, it becomes easier to show grace. It becomes easier to be patient with others. It becomes easier to appreciate the unique way God has made each person.

Different measurements do not make one better than another. They simply remind us that God created each of us uniquely.

And so, if our heavenly Father highly values you, me and people who are different from us, then surely we should too.