For You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men. 1 Kings 8:39 (NKJV)
Every time we judge others, we’re making assumptions about why people do what they do. But can we ever really know why people do what they do?
Even after knowing someone for years, we still can’t accurately assume their motives and intentions. I was reminded of this while teaching a pre-marriage course with my wife Sally after we had been married for about 22 years. During the exercises, each couple would pause to ask each other a series of questions. Being married for so long, I thought we would know what each other would say, but I was surprised that our assumptions were often wrong.
We need to always remember to ask each other questions instead of assuming.
In fact, today’s verse clearly says that only God knows our hearts. This is why we enter an area where we have no expertise when we assume people’s intentions. In fact, we often don’t even know why we do what we do. Have you ever done something and when someone asked you why, you couldn’t answer? In times like these, it’s God’s Word we can rely on to help us to discern the thoughts and intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV).
If you want to take your relationships to the next level this year, step one is to stop judging others’ motives and intentions. If someone hurts you, talk about how it made you feel, but don’t attack their character. Never assume; always ask them why they did what they did, and you’ll bring understanding and openness to your relationships.