Have you ever wondered why they’re looking at you that way? Why they’re not reaching out? Why are they saying things about others without actually knowing.
Who are they? They are co-workers, church leaders, family members, even neighbors.
How easy it is to form stories in our minds about people we know nothing about. Some fellow Christians do this and call it discernment, but there’s nothing Holy there. We scroll, glance, hear snippets, see them in passing, and suddenly, we think we know the whole story. Let us be careful, our assumptions can be more about our perspective than their truth.
Have we taken the time to get to know them, to learn their story, have we been available when needed?
I pray you have never been on either side of this situation.
If you have you can look again and ask God for true discernment.
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” – John 7:24 (ESV)
How many times have you sized someone up in a split second?
Their silence? We call it pride. Their distance? We assume it’s coldness or sin. Their tone? We decide it’s attitude.
Just like that, we ignorantly and self-centered create a version of them that might not exist.
What if what we’re seeing isn’t the full story?
What if behind the silence is a battle they’re too exhausted to name?
What if the distance is protection from wounds we know nothing about?
What if the tone is the tip of an iceberg of grief, anxiety, or fear?
We don’t always know and that’s exactly why Jesus calls us not to judge by appearance, but to practice righteous, Spirit-led judgment. That kind of judgment starts with compassion, curiosity, and humility.
May we draw closer before assuming, ask and not accuse and love people for who they are, not who we think they should be. Let us slow down before forming conclusions. Pray before making assumptions. May Jesus love go first.
God doesn’t look at what’s on the surface, and neither should we. Let us it grieve the heart of the father.
Reflect:
Who have I misjudged that I need to see with fresh eyes today?
Lord, help me lead with love instead of assumption.
©️2025 Denise Kilby New Hope MHCLC Assoc. All rights reserved.
