Do Not Assume

Do Not Assume

I don't have to tell you what assuming does to you and me. It is very easy to make assumptions about circumstances and people without really knowing the truth, facts, or what's really going on. I have been guilty of it we all have did it I am sure.

So many times we look at someone's situation or lives and we think we know what the are going through or their situation and we judge them unfairly. We look at how a kid acts and we assume their parents aren't good parents, when you don't live with or raise the kid on a daily basis. You might not know they have some issues and the parents have tried everything to control them. Or you look at a woman married to a man and you don't understand why she stays with him, he's a cheat, a perv, and mean. Yet, maybe the woman is afraid,or feels trapped, or is threatened if she leaves?

We don't know people's circumstances. When gossip and rumors get out in town or at church about someone, it's very easy to think we know it all, because of what we heard, but many times, what actual reality and truth is, is very different than what we hear or think we know.

You don't know whta it's like to live in someone else's house, walk in their shoes, or be in their circumstance, so it's not fair or right of us to assume, judge, or condemn them. We have no idea how we would handle, react, or respond if we were in that given situation or dealing with those issues. It's very easy to talk about how we'd handle something, as long as we are not in it. It's totally different when you are living it.

My encouragement this morning is this. Stop assuming you know every situation. Don't judge someone because you think you know their situation or problem. If you haven't lived it or experienced it, you don't know it. And in most cases we never truly have all the facts.

I have been very guilty of making assumptions and judgements of people and their problems or circumstances based on my thinking I know, but not really knowing, and I want to change that.

If you don't know about a person or their situation, then don't say anything or act like you know. If a friend or family member comes to you with issues, then listen, give advice or counsel when asked, and don't assume or judge if you don't know. If required be supportive, if required be honest and truthful if they need to hear it, but only about facts and reality, not assumptions.

We all have opinions, some of us more than others. We think we know it all, but let's be real honest, if we haven't lived it, experienced it, or been through it, kind of hard to know it. And if we got stuff in our lives we aren't dealing with, kind or hard to tell someone what they need to do in their lives.

It reminds me of the simple lesson Jesus tried to teach in Matthew 7. We need to worry about ourselves and get ourselves together, then we can worry about someone else.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:3-5(NIV)

Let's get the plank ourt of our eyes, then we can help others with their speck, but if you don't know the speck, don't assume you do.