Our perception of others

What I am writing about this morning is a topic that has really been on my heart for the past couple of weeks. It seems like the older I get the more I learn that the way we perceive others is often based off of what we hear. What do I mean by that?

For example, my roommates and I watch a lot of basketball when we aren't working on homework. We love to watch as many games as we can because we all love basketball. We all have our favorite players and we all have players we can't stand to watch. The Houston Rockets seems to have a lot of games that are on either ESPN or TNT so we can easily watch them. They're a terrific basketball team with some superb players. Their point guard, Chris Paul is one of the best point guards in the league. I have always enjoyed watching him play because he does a terrific job at running the team. I have come to learn that my roommates do not like him at all. They cannot stand to watch him play and think that he is very overrated. I hear them say that over and over again, and now in my mind, I am not so found of Chris Paul. Why? Because I hear over and over again from my closest friends how they don't like him and I let their opinions change mine.

You could also think about it this way. Think about somebody that all of your friends seem to know, but you haven't actually met that person. Do you have that person in mind? If so, think about the way that your friends talk about either him or her. They probably had good things to say and not so good. You have never met this person before but with everything you have heard about him or her, you probably have formulated something in your head about what that person is like.

Way too often we have a perception of others based off other peoples experiences and not our own. Why has this topic been on my heart? I don't think that it is very fair to have a perception based off of what others think. I am writing this to encourage you to not from opinions of people based off what others say. Give everybody a chance because that is fair.

In this world, people make mistakes every day. Mistakes that we aren't proud of. Mistake that affect yourself and possibly other people. Say I make a mistake and it affects those around me. The people around me might tell others of my mistake and that may allow people to perceive me in a way that is based off of the mistake that I made and that isn't fair.

I want to encourage you to watch the way you perceive other people. Is what you're saying true? Is it necessary? It is kind? Give everybody a chance. Please don't let what others say convince you that is how he or she is.

I want to make it clear that I am not saying your friends opinions aren't valuable because they totally are. We should all value our close friends opinions. Sometimes we should value your friends opinions more than our own. I have done that before and it was been extremely helpful and beneficial in my life. I just don't ever want someone to not get a chance at something because you trusted what others said before you actually got to know that person yourself.

I hope this post was encouraging to you and maybe even convicting. What we think about others and our perception is something we experience everyday. Life isn't always fair, but that shouldn't be an excuse for us to not love others the way that God calls us to do.

Give somebody a chance today, don't let what other people say affect your thinking.