April 15, 2025 Devo

You need to say this out loud before you leave the house today: “GOD knows people’s hearts, but I do not!” That simple statement can save you a lot of heartache. I’m convinced that for many of us, a lot of our relational problems and personal hurts are because of what we ASSUME that people mean rather than KNOWING what they mean. We assign intention to their behavior without really knowing what their intentions are. And do you know what’s funny? We almost always assume the worst!
A guy goes zooming by us on the road, and he’s an “idiot” or a “jerk.” We DON’T think of him as a guy who’s rushing to the hospital because his child has been airlifted there. The woman at work who is short-tempered and a bit harsh is just “mean-spirited.” We don’t imagine her as a woman who is on her last nerve from dealing with her alcoholic and abusive husband or from caring for her invalid mother. We act as if we know the hearts of people and why they do what they do. But we don’t. God does. Which is why He is probably a lot more gracious than we are.
Think about the last time you had a really bad day or were overwhelmed by worry or stress. You snapped at your kids. You yelled at your spouse. You were rude to the poor clerk at Walmart or the teller at the bank. Do you really want people to judge your heart on the day or days when you are at your WORST? Of course not. You want some grace. Then give some.
Can I suggest a couple of things since you don’t know people’s hearts? First, always take written communication the BEST possible way. Give them the same benefit of the doubt that you would want about something YOU wrote. Second, tell yourself better stories. When you don’t know why people act the way they do, tell yourself a story that helps you give grace, not judgment. Third, pray for the people whose behavior bothers you so much, and ask God to help you treat them as Jesus would. After all, He is our model.
Last, and this might make you laugh, try to get to know them better. One of my wife’s favorite statements is, “Everything about a person will make sense if you know enough of their story.” I’ve found that to be true. I’m not trying to justify the bad behavior of people in your life or excuse their poor manners or hurtful comments. I’m not saying you should never confront such people and hold them accountable. What I AM saying is don’t be so quick to think you know WHY they are the way they are or WHY they do what they do. You never know. If their story were YOUR story, you might act like them, too! That’s God’s Word for you today.