It’s Not What It Looks Like

Bill Brinkworth

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

Too many of us make the wrong assessments of a situation. We look at or hear of circumstances and make a rash judgment with littleknowledge of what did happen. Almost every time I have made a hasty judgment, I have found my discernment was wrong. I found myself feeling quite foolish, when I learned what really had happened was not what I thought had happened. Proverbs 18:13 reminds us that our judgments, without having full details of what transpired, will make us feel foolish: “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” We need to hear both sides of the story before “jumping the gun” in understanding an event.

Many of us have quickly learned that situations are not always what they appear. Here are several biblical instances where quick scrutiny of a situation would most likely lead to a wrong judgment:

 

Today, as in the examples above, many falsely judge a situation. A wrong idea of what we suspect happened or is happening can taint a relationship permanently with a person or an idea about a person. We certainly would not want anyone to falsely think the worst of us in apparent circumstances; so with that in mind, give others a second, third, fourth, etc. chance. Give them the benefit of the doubt in a situation; and whatever you do, get more than one side of the story. Get the details from more than your one quick, uniformed glance; then you will be able to make wiser judgments.

“Search seven times before you suspect anyone.” — Japanese Proverb

This lesson was featured in The Bible View #182.

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