Jumping to Conclusions

“The first to state his case seems right, until his opponent begins to cross-examine him.”

Proverbs 18:17 NET

We humans are so accepting of one person's story that we will almost instantly jump to a conclusion. I see this on the news, in the work place, in the church and even between friends of ours. We hear one side of the story and right away we believe that is how it was, how it was said, how the other person said it, and we don't even take into account that there is another side of the story, that there are emotions involved in the story, that each person filters what was said and what was heard through experiences of the past and through hurts of the past and present. What was said may have actually been said, but was it said in the way it was said? Was it said with the meaning that it was interpreted? Everything that we hear and say goes through a filter of what we have experienced, including hurts and pains we have had in the past and currently have. This is where we, as friends, and Christians should not be so quick to jump to a conclusion thinking that they are 100% correct, but we should be there for our friends, to listen to them, cry with them, laugh with them, point out inconsistencies, and confront them with love when needed. 

Take Away: When you have a friend that is hurting, instead of jumping to conclusions, be there for them, listen to them, correct them if needed, and most of all...pray with them!