I’ve been around a little while.  I’ve experienced a few things along the way.  With time and experience comes some understanding… and I think I’m beginning to understand people one two levels.  Some people are positive, joyful, trusting, content, and peaceful.  The other kind of people are resentful, angry, bitter, hostile, condemning, distrusting, discontent, etc.

This I believe: Neither person woke up one day and decided to be the way they are.  They are hard-wired and the product of their experiences.  Two people can have the SAME experiences and react to them totally different… one can be positive while another is bitter.  As it’s been said, “The same sun that softens wax hardens clay.”

You can tell to a great degree which kind of person someone is by how they evaluate people and assign motives to others.  People who are trusting, kind, positive, and joyful will project what they are toward others until proven wrong.  By the same token… people who are untrustworthy, manipulative, angry, and the like will project that upon other people even though the evidence may be contrary to what they believe.  Paul affirmed this in Titus 1:15…

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

Read that again slowly.  Believe it unconditionally.  When a person is pure… they will assume pure motives and intentions from others.  When a person has a defiled spirit (Bitter, manipulative, distrusting, etc)… everyone is like them and nothing can convince them otherwise.

There is a group of people at the church I serve called “The Happy Hearts.”  They are a choir of more seasoned adults and the title describes them!  They are always smiling… always positive… always encouraging.  They didn’t just wake up one day and become that… it is who they are!  It’s their nature… I believe because of their walk with God through Christ.  I want to be like them when I get older!

Question: What do you naturally assume about a person when a difficult circumstance comes into your life?  Do you assume first that they didn’t intend harm OR do you assume they are trying to do you harm?  Whichever first comes to your mind (According to Paul) is a very strong indicator of the condition of your soul AND who you are (Same for me)!  Let’s not be deceived.

Just a rumination I affirmed at the end of a day…