“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34, WEB
We may have experienced times when people got unduly angry with us without us knowing why. We may have been judged for things we didn’t do or even intentions we never even thought about.
In the same way, we can apply this to others who may offend us one way or the other. We may try to think that they don’t really know what they are doing or that they don’t intend to really offend us.
There may be certain exceptions to the matter, but much anger can be avoided if we do not judge hastily, if we can pause for a while and give others at least, the benefit of the doubt. This is the same thing we want for ourselves. That we not be so easily judged by others, but given time to explain ourselves and our true intentions.
“If I see people do anything which clearly seems to be sin, I cannot make up my mind that they have offended God; and if I dwell upon this at all, – which happens rarely or never, – I never can make up my mind, though I see it plainly enough. It seems to me that everybody is as anxious to serve God as I am. And herein God has been very gracious to me, for I never dwell on an evil deed, to remember it afterwards and if I do remember it, I see some virtue or other in that person.” – St. Teresa of Avila
The thing about hope is that it’s a positive force that shines the most when it’s dark. When everything’s going well, we hardly notice it’s there. But when things go against us, when our dreams fade and when we see no immediate reprieve from our troubles, that’s when hope does its best work for us.
"Where Hope Can Be Found"
One reply on “Avoiding Hasty Judgments”
[…] It seems to me that everybody is as anxious to serve God as I am. And herein God has been very gracious to me, for I never dwell on an evil deed, to remember it afterwards and if I do remember it, I see some virtue or other in that person.” – St. Teresa of Avila, AVOIDING HASTY JUDGEMENTS… itakeoffthemask.c… […]