Preconceived

A few weeks ago, I got an unexpected email from a colleague that completely took me by surprise. The email was very terse and filled with accusatory words of hurt, anger, and dismay; apparently, in my rush to get to a lunch meeting, I had responded to a previous request from the colleague in a short, to-the-point voicemail about what I thought that person should do regarding an issue we were working on together. Apparently, it had come off as reprimanding and belittling. I apologized for the unintended tone, and assured my colleague that my shortness was in no way an indication that I was angry or frustrated. I expressed my deep appreciation for the matter being brought to my attention as the iciness immediately melted away and my colleague began to reflect and then finally said, “I think I am just on edge; it seems like everyone is always upset with me about something and now I just assume everyone is talking down to me.”

A few days later I had a conversation with a friend about a loved one who always made her feel guilty. My friend described situation after situation where the loved one would play “a guilt card” and yet, from my point of view, I couldn’t see where that was happening. I asked my friend about it and told her how things looked from my point of view and she said, “Hmmm, maybe I just assume she is playing the guilt card because it is something I could see myself doing…”The similarity in these two incidents really struck me because I can relate; I am so often guilty of assigning a preconceived outcome to a situation, based solely on my perspective at the time, that I totally misunderstand a situation. If the lens through which you see the world so greatly affects your reactions, your attitude, and your responses, how would a “God lens” change your life?

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Mathew 9:35-36

Your thoughts?