Everyone makes mistakes. I make mistakes, you make mistakes, that random guy in the car next to you as you're driving down the road makes mistakes. It's part of what makes us human. No I'm not saying that that gives us an excuse to sin, but that we need to be understanding of other peoples' mistakes. Now I'm sure you're wondering, "Why are you telling me this? I already know that no one is perfect, what does that have to do with anything?" Well, that's what I'm going to be talking about in this article.
1 Corinthians 13:7 says, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." This verse isn't saying that we should be gullible. In fact, in Mark 13:23 it tells us to be on guard for false teachers. We shouldn't just believe all that everyone tells us, but make sure that it's true. But I'm not talking about words, I'm talking about actions. Say you're talking to a friend and they say something that you know isn't true. Now you could either pass them off as a liar, or you could ask them about it. Chances are, they were just wrong. It can be very easy to assume the worst about people, but when we do, then the trust in that relationship goes down slowly until there isn't any left. It's always important to talk to people about our problems with them and come to an understanding. Sometimes they are aware of what they said, and they don't care no matter what you say. However, sometimes they had no idea that what they said wasn't true. This is why we need to always assume the best and confront others in a loving manner so that we don't get the wrong idea of them. That's how friendships end.
We should always make sure and if we have to make an assumption, give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Everyone makes mistakes and we have to remember this. Not only should we assume the best, but have patience with people even when they do mess up. That's what love is about. Love is about always assuming the best even when it's hard.
