Things May Appear To Be Other Than They Really Are

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” – Proverbs 18:13

The subject of being judgmental will always be a topic of discussion in the Christian universe. We have a natural bent toward seeing people with a critical eye. The truth is, we rarely have the facts, which is why the Scriptures tell us to not judge anything before its time. Many things may distort what we perceive to be the truth. “And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee” (I Samuel 1:12-14). Eli was a priest who confused devotion with drunkenness. This was no small misread.

About a year ago I got a real taste of this truth stuffed down my throat. I was trying to cross the street, but the man in front of me was taking his own sweet time with little regard for those behind him. If we didn’t cross swiftly then we would miss the light and have to wait for the next signal. My mind raced as I thought of many other situations where people just don’t seem to care for those around them, such as never having the right change at the tollbooth and then asking if they take credit cards. If that isn’t enough, they then want directions to Timbuktu, while the line backs up for three miles. We see it everywhere.

I just love the lines at the supermarket where the shopper has a nice chitchat with the cashier. By the time they finish their dialogue, I have missed dinner, the World Series, and seeing my children grow up, all because of the inconsiderate person in front of me.

Since the guy crossing the street didn’t care if he made me late, I decided that I would just dart in front of him making my point without saying a word. As I passed him, I noticed that he was walking a dog or was the dog walking him? Yes, he was blind, but not as blind as I was with my judgmental spirit. And as for the guy asking for directions at the tollbooth or the person dialoguing with the cashier, who knows, maybe they were sharing their faith.

Let’s cut each other some slack and enjoy life. Sorry, but that’s the way I see things.