Why We Shouldn’t Assume Things About People as Believers -Opinion

Being stuck within the human condition, all of humanity struggles with a sinful nature, inherited from Adam and Eve when they disobeyed the command of the Father, listening to the shining, serpentine angel we now know as Satan. It is unfortunate that even in the body of the Messiah we emulate the wishes of the father of lies when we are too quick to judge things based on appearance and hearsay alone.

One of the defining qualities of Yeshua, when He reigns in His Millennial Kingdom, is that He will judge with righteous judgment, instead of based on rumors or appearance alone. Isaiah 11: 3 “His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears …”

Jesus will judge humanity with fairness and with perfect knowledge as the Son of Man, the eternal Word of God whose origins are from old, from time everlasting.

While we may note that humanity does not have this perfect knowledge of all the thoughts of the heart of every man, that does not mean we can’t emulate Messiah’s approach instead of the serpent’s approach.

Delighting in Gossip De-Lights the Blessings of God

Gossip is a killer, far more malicious than a simple cast of the tongue.

A reputation can kill a man, and a good name is to be valued, as King Solomon taught in his many proverbs. A splendid example of this is spreading rumors about someone one may have no clue about. Are you even sure what you heard is true, or are you passing it along like a game of telephone?

The New Testament letters warn believers in Jesus Christ never to gossip, even if the information may be true. Mind the tongue, the little flame that can set the world ablaze for glory or for shame.

In my own life, I have felt the sting of this and have even been guilty of not meeting this standard myself.

I am a man who walks with a disability, a very severe disability that doesn’t allow me to reflect on reality as other people do.

There is no shame in me to admit this had caused me to do shameful things, but my life has been transformed by the love of Christ. There is no excuse for sin, whatever it may be.

I am repentant and walking with Messiah today. Thanks be to Yahweh for His wondrous mercies, which are new every morning! All glory to the Father.

In the past, I didn’t choose my friends wisely, and because of that I learned what true value and true friendship is. Some things are better left behind, so that we might grow in grace and power instead of being held back by darkness.

I’m not saying that we should allow mockers any sliver of attention, especially those from the secular world. But what I am saying is that as believers in Messiah we should come to each other to resolve our issues.

We need to stay humble, offering apologies where needed and keep our lips sealed when we don’t know something for sure. We must refuse to take part in “I heard this about that woman …” or “I heard that guy’s crazy.”

It’s a waste of time, doesn’t edify anyone, and you don’t know that the information is even true, to begin with.

Carefully Guarding Our Tongues

We should never assume we have the whole truth about anyone.

Always assume you’re missing information whenever you feel like something doesn’t quite click. We are to walk in set-apart holiness to Yahweh, not join with the mockers and scoffers.

Who cares what political party someone agrees with? Does that tell you anything about their character? So, what if someone supported Trump, or Biden, or, wishes we still had Reagan?

We’re all unique and we all have our views. That’s what makes us interesting.

James 3:5 “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!”

One little spark is all it takes to ruin someone forever. What if that fellow believer who had a drinking problem repented of his metaphorical idolatry and kicked it down to a few glasses of wine a weekend? You can’t assume that he’s still a drunk because of what other people have said.

People can change, move on, and become better versions of themselves. Life’s about moving forward in the commandments of Yahweh. This is the whole duty of man.

Jacob had to press forward, even when he met Esau once again decades later. He reconciled with his past self and gained himself his brother. Jacob had many failings, committing many mistakes and even tricking Laban just as Laban had tricked him.

Our flesh may tell us Laban got his just deserts, but Jacob could have approached the whole situation differently.

A believer in Yeshua should never return evil for evil, even when it hurts or angers us.

There is a time and place for vengeance, and vengeance belongs to Yahweh, not man. God will vindicate His faithful and prepare a table for them right in front of those enemies! How great is our God!

Let us learn to tame our tongues, instead of using them to speak evil over someone’s life. There is a concept in Hebrew culture called “lashan-hara” or the evil tongue. We are not to speak evil or spread rumors about anyone at all. Even our enemies.

Yeshua called us to love our enemies.

Let’s Stop Assuming Things

We’re called to do this, not gossip.

If you have been the victim of a gossip tirade, know there is hope in Messiah. God will exalt those who humble themselves and that will speak for itself, shaming all enemies in the process.

God has a wonderful sense of humor like that.

But remember, such a trial may have come upon you because you yourself have assumed things about people you don’t know.

When Yeshua said not to judge others, He didn’t mean to never do it. He meant to be fair and just. It doesn’t befit a saint to take part in gossip. The self-control of our minds, hearts, and especially tongues is the goal. Remember, Jesus gave us a stern warning.

Matthew 12:36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

We will give an account of our words to the cloud-riding Son of Man, the King of Kings.

Let us not be ashamed by berating others and tearing them down.

Who are we to know what is in someone’s heart? And even if rotten fruit is growing on someone’s tree of behavior, who are we to say they can’t change and become decent human beings? It’s not our job as Christians to report the news and tear someone else down, even if we don’t like them.

Master your tongue, and the Master will bless you. Leave the vengeance up to Him. He’s better at it anyway!