Assumptions

I once heard the story of a man who walked onto a bus with his three very hyper children. This was going to be an all-night ride, so passengers were hoping for peace so they could get some sleep on their journey. After 15 minutes of yelling, jumping over seats, and throwing things back and forth, passengers began looking at each other, wondering who would be the first to demand that the dad tame his unruly children. To make matters worse, he seemed totally oblivious to his children's misbehavior. He was staring out of the window, not the least bit concerned with the noise or the sentiments of the people around him.

How irresponsible and inconsiderate to allow his kids to misbehave like this while people were trying to sleep! What kind of father is this?! Finally, several people gathered the courage to tell him exactly how they felt. “Sir! Could you please settle your children down? Some of us are trying to get some sleep.” The man seemed to come to himself and apologized. “Please forgive me. My children and I are returning from their mother’s funeral. My wife just passed away, and we are all still recovering from the shock of all that has happened.”

Do you think these people changed how they felt about this man after getting this bit of information? We often make assumptions based on the information we have in front of us, but we don’t have enough facts to make accurate judgments. Appearances can be misleading. This is why Jesus said, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).

How often do we allow our assumptions to color how we look upon and judge people? Would our assessment be any better if we could see things the way God sees them?

Ellen White observed, “So frail, so ignorant, so liable to misconception is human nature, that each should be careful in the estimate he places upon another.”

Wow! A little further, she wrote, “We cannot afford to let our spirits chafe over any real or supposed wrong done to ourselves… We should not allow our feelings to be easily wounded. We are to live, not to guard our feelings or our reputation, but to save souls. As we become interested in the salvation of souls, we cease to mind the little differences that so often arise in our association with one another” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 483-485).

The next time we feel the urge to judge a stranger or take offense at a perceived slight, let us remember the father on the bus and pause. We never truly know the heavy burdens our fellow travelers are carrying or the invisible grief that influences their behavior. By trading our critical spirit for a heart of compassion, we not only heed Jesus’ call to “judge with right judgment,” but we also mirror the patience of Jesus—focusing less on our own comfort and more on the healing and salvation of those around us.