As I've said many times, I've encountered many different "types" of people in my life. Friends, acquaintences, co-workers... When I say type I dont mean age, color, etc but I mean characteristics; personalities, beliefs, actions. The person that they are inside.

I've been a very easy person in my life to be bullied, it is a huge part of my past. I've had so many friendships where I've felt bullied that I run away screaming when people don't bully me. (Well not literaly, but it is a scary situation for me).

The question that is perplexing me is how I put labels on types of people. For me nowdays, there are two types; believers and non believers. Over the past year, the belivers have been a huge influence in my life and have been essential in the healing I have recieved over the past year. They are God's love in action, and I am grateful for them.

My non-believer friends don't understand my walk with God, but they are supportive anyway. I know in the past I just wanted to convert everyone, but I know my life speaks more than words can ever express. I spent a few days with my non-believer friends, and it was a fun time. It was months ago and they still call reguarly to chat.

These two types of friends, its not a contest of who is better and "which side do I go on?" Because, after all, no matter what people believe, people are people and we are all free to believe what suits us. My non-believer friends don't try to change me and I don't try to change them.

Just like the media does with famous people, we, as people, tend to put people on a pedastol. Millionares=worthwhile, homeless=useless. (exaggerated of course). We by nature judge people by their who, what, when, where, and (mostly) ignoring the type of person they are.

We are warned of this many times in the Bible, (Matthew 7:15-15Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves.)how someone on the outside looks to have it all together while falling apart inside, and the people that lives are falling apart on the outside actually have stability within themselves. Apperances mean nothing, what they do for a living is useless, where they live is so unimportant.. what is really important is a persons character.

I know I am guilty of this. I put my believer friends on a pedastol, and while I don't concider non-believers "nobodies", I put all the emphasis on them. As far as I'm concerned, they can do no wrong. And of course that thinking is wrong! How many religious "leaders" have been corrupt? How many non-believers have done works that could be works of God?

One teaching that has stuck by me is "take the labels off". Which has been very powerful for me in my life, since the people that "should love me"; actively don't. And strangers are nicer to me than others. But it should be that way for everyone. Labels are useless, its about our character and our heart.

We are all of value in this world, we all have our stories, our opinions, our strengths and weaknesses. And luckily, they are all different. Where I'm weak another is strong, and vice versa. We all have a purpose, and no one is better or worse than another. Just because my believer friends have the same beliefs as me, it doesn't make them better than me, and it doesn't mean we are really friends. Some people just clash for whatever reasons. The sooner I learn that and put that into practice... the better off ALL of my friends and I will be.