Believe The best

We will believe the best about others. (I Cor. 13:4-7)

Believing the best about others is rooted in how God views us and the belief that He is at work in the lives of others as well as our own. Because His love for us bears all things and believes all things (I Cor. 13:7) we can have this same kind of love for one another. So what does this look like in action? Here are a few thoughts:

It is not
• The power of positive thinking
• Closing our eyes to real problems that may exist
• Overlooking areas where God may want us to confront or “gently restore” (Gal 6:1)

It is
• Understanding and being OK with the fact that that we are all “in process” in our growth/ development. This allows us to be patient with others as God is patient with us. It is giving ourselves and others freedom to fail.
• Seeking to understand another person’s situation. Max Lucado tells a story of being on a subway with a man and some young kids who were whiny and misbehaving and feeling judgmental towards the Dad until he found out that they were on their way home from the spouse/ mother’s funeral. He said his perspective changed quickly once he knew their circumstances
• Having “good will” towards others. Good will is about giving one another the benefit of the doubt.
• Not questioning others’ motives, but believing that they have our best interests in mind. This may mean not getting defensive if others offer some critique of us. It involves stepping back saying ____ loves God and cares about me, there must be a good reason he said what he did. It is looking for the kernel of truth in any situation.

This list is obviously not exhaustive. Give this a try, see what happens. Let me know what you think.