Assumptions

We all do it, we make assumptions. We tell ourselves that what someone said or what someone did meant something specific. We make an assumption about it. We say in our head, "well they did it because ......., "They said that because they don't really love me," on and on we go assuming what people have done and why they have done it. An assumption can be defined as something taken for granted or accepted as true without proof; a supposition: a valid assumption; resumption; arrogance. We all make assumptions and then quickly, without ever realizing it, we make these assumptions our truth. We then act on these "accepted truths" without proof of any kind and without checking them out to see if they are true. This is quite "arrogant"of us, at the definiton implies above. Jesus told us this....

He went on: "It's what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution."

Matthew 7:20-23

When I act in this kind of arrogance, making assumptions and believing them as true with no proof, Jesus reminds me that this is "vomit from the heart and the source of my pollution." We like to tell ourselves that it must be someone else and if they would just change in some way we would feel better. However, this change we want them to make may be based on a false assumption we have about thier behavior or communication. We also act angry and hostile towards others because we assume they met to wrong us, or that what they said or did was an intentional action to hurt. When we act this way based on assumptions and in arrogance we are not acting in loving and humble ways. We are being arrogant thinking that we must know what is right, but we never check it out. If there was two things that people could do to act in more loving ways towards each other and show the love of Christ it would be these two:

1) Do not take things so personally

2) Stop making assumptions.

Do that in the coming week. See the opportunity to not take things personally and not make assumptions as a way to understand and love others instead of be defensive and protect yourself and your ego. Let what comes out of your heart not be pollution but healing love and understanding.

Namaste'