I don't know about you my friend, but I think I could win the award for , "Assuming Queen of the Year." Yes, this stubborn girl has many struggles and one of them is always assuming. I was blessed to do an interview with Angela Parsley. Visit this link and you can see all the wisdom in Angela's comments. http://robinsnest66.blogspot.com/2010/09/lets-chat-friday-with-angela-biehn.htmlAngela shared with an honest heart that she is an assuming girl. This caught my eye. She didn't share a lot about this, but in the moment I read her words I knew the Lord was reaching my heart. He has a way of doing that, doesn't He?
It was a few months back a friend of mine shared with me that I seem to just assume too much. At first, I thought, "How dare she, I never assume." But, there is always a but! I did, I do, and yes, this girl struggles with this. You ask, "What do you assume?" Well, here goes; If someone doesn't call for a while, what do we think? Oh, my she must be angry at me. If someone looks at us, we just assume they are thinking something awful. When someone doesn't speak to us we just assume they do not like us. Am I hitting home with anyone else? We assume we are less of a person. We assume we just don't fit the bill. We assume we are just not good enough. We assume we are not pretty. We assume Jesus will never love us, much less forgive us of our past. We assume another doesn't like us simply because they do not speak to us or share our same interests. We walk into a room and then it goes silent. We assume others are talking about us, right? Why do we not just go to that person and speak? We assume another doesn't like us when they walk by and say nothing, but are we looking them in the eye and simply saying, "Hi, how are you? I know we never get to talk a lot, but I just want to introduce myself to you."
Now, see how easy that is? So, what is the problem? We always seem to want others to come to us. We want others to make that first move and do the work. We can sit back and assume someone is angry with us all day long, but until we go to that person and share our heart, we will never know, will we? Let's take Face book for instance. We see something someone has written, and all be, we think it is about us! Are we really just that self centered or that insecure? I think it can be both. We just simply want to be accepted, but in our insecurity, why on earth would someone want to accept us? We don't just assume about us. We do this to others. We see someone dressed a certain way and what do we think? Drugs, right? We hear something on the news and before we know the whole story we have them guilty and ready for the electric chair. We see friends out with others and we are not invited. We become hurt and think, "How awful, they didn't ask me to come along." We assume before we know the circumstances. We hear gossip and just assume it is the truth. That one kills me! Yikes, if it is gossip, should we be involved or thinking about it anyway? My Pastor says, "If you are not part of the problem or the solution, walk away." It just simply isn't our concern. We seem to want to make everything our concern. Let's not be busybodies. You know, those little ladies down the road who know everything about everyone. They can tell you whatever you want to know. We can become those little ladies in the blink of an eye. We see a man speaking to another woman and assume they are having an affair. We see a man picking up a beer can, placing it in his pick up and assume, "Oh my, he is a drinker, who knew?" Well, soon everyone will know because of our assumption.
There is no truth in assuming. It is like walking in the unknown 24 hours a day. There is no reality, only our thoughts to haunt us. In assuming, we not only take ourselves there, buy we invite others along for the ride. Soon, the train is pulling out and we are all on our way to Assumption City. If a friend has not called you in a while, give them a call. Just maybe they are in need of a touch of love. If you haven't been to lunch with your girlfriend in a while, reach out to her and invite her for tea. Just maybe she is struggling and is in need of a shoulder. May we not make everything about us, but think of others first.
Women are really bad about this. Really we are. A woman can see another and just by looking we think she is a snob. Who are we to even think that? Maybe she is shy. Maybe she feels out of place because others are looking at her and she finds herself assuming! Really, do we ever hear our husbands come home from work and say, "Oh honey, there is this guy at work and he looked at me funny today, I just don't think he likes me." Can you see your husband coming in from church and saying, "Joe walked right by me and didn't say a thing, I think I must have done something to make him mad." Hello, men do not do these silly things. When men have a problem with another, they go to them. Not to another friend, but straight to that person. Why do we as women struggle with assuming and then do nothing about it?
We have got to lay down our insecurities, because I am telling you that girl who walks in all dressed, hair fixed perfect and walking tall carries the same insecurities you do. In assuming we play judge, jury and executioner. Friendships can end by assuming. Friendships will never even have the chance to begin when we assume first and act second. Don't allow your mind to wander and twist things. Satan would love for us to stay in the land of Assumption. When there, nothing of good can happen.
We are not going to be the people God has called us to be. We are not going to be reaching out to others, and we certainly will not be sharing our hearts with others if we are just assuming no one likes us. Satan may not like us, but God loves us! It doesn't matter if Susan doesn't like you, speak to her in love. Give her a chance before you assume she doesn't. When we get a crazy look, why not just smile back, and say, "It's a beautiful day isn't it?" Reaching out to others has a way of making others smile. Jesus reached out to those who didn't like Him. He spoke to those who assumed He was no more than a crazy man. He walked as One with integrity. He was pure in His thoughts and His actions had honest motives. His character told of who He was. Jesus saw the heart of man, He didn't look to the outward and judge first as we do. He didn't assume what Adam and Eve were thinking in the garden. Oh, He knew, but He asked them. He wanted to hear from them. When we focus on God instead of the way of this world it will change our attitudes. When we see our worth in Christ, our insecurities will fall away. When we stop trying to gain acceptance from others and look to God for our needs we will begin to reach out to others. All we can do is be ourselves. Not everyone is going to like us. Not everyone will want to be our friend. Instead of concentrating on those who don't like us and thinking about why, may we just simply be who God created us to be and love those around us.
We can assume a great deal of things. Shame on us for assuming another by their circumstances. We are not our defined by our circumstances. When we accept Christ as our Savior we become children of the King of kings. There is nothing that tops that! Nothing can tear us away from Christ. He is the real deal. He is here to stay and love us for who we are. Christ can break those assuming chains we wear so well.
Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on this earth."
Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 2:3-4 "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
Ephesians 5:1-2 "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma."
Galatians 6:2-5 "Bear one an other's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load."
Galatians 5:16 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
When we live a life of assuming we are living in our flesh. We are allowing our flesh to overtake our minds, when in fact if we walk in Christ, allowing His Spirit to wash over us, we will think upon pure things, letting go of those very thoughts holding us back. May we walk in truth and not down Assuming Lane. May today be the day we assume no more and live as Christ has called us to. Not just looking out for ourselves, but looking into the eyes of others, into their heart and reaching them with the love of Christ.
