give 'em a break

Lately, God has really brought home to me the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt.  So often, we forget that people who may appear to have it all together on the surface actually have a lot going on behind the scenes...personal issues, family issues, medical issues.  There is so much we do not know about not only the person we consider an acquaintance, but often also the person we consider a close friend.

You may think you know a person's circumstances, but chances are, there is something, maybe a lot, of which you are completely unaware.  It is a lot easier to vent our frustrations or feel "righteous" indignation when we claim that a person "should know better," or whatever your excuse of choice may be.  I know I've used a lot of excuses in my life.  But the truth is that these responses to our fellow man are actually uninformed and selfish.

Remember, we cannot see another person's heart.  That harsh word or selfish action may be a coping mechanism to a much deeper problem.  So next time you or I want to jump to a conclusion or feel justified in our judgement of another person's attitude or actions, let's give them a break.  There may be a lot we don't know.

"The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

-1 Samuel 16:7