The Whole Story

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. —Proverbs 18:13

When you hear something about a person, do you assume the best and give them the benefit of the doubt? Or do you tend to think the worst?

The fact is we don’t know people’s motives. It’s the pride of our hearts that causes us to assume negatively about them rather than building them up. Are you quick to jump to conclusions before getting all the facts? That’s not a loving way to live. Love says, “Let me hear the whole story.”

According to the book of Proverbs, it’s foolishness to answer a matter before we’ve heard it. We’re often prone to jump to a conclusion when we hear the first bit of a story without taking time to love someone enough to listen to the whole thing.

Are you generally suspicious of people, or are you generally trusting? We trust, not because people are all that trustworthy but because we can see people through the eyes of God’s love and God’s grace: “Love believes all things” (1 Cor. 13:7).