A hazy morning at a harbor. Chalky, gray mist shrouds the boats, but a peach-colored sunrise warms the scene. Claude Monet captured this scene in his masterpiece “Impression, Sunrise.” Created in 1872, this painting was not well-received. French critic Louis Leroy slammed the painting as little more than a sketch that could barely be considered a finished work. Over time, however, opinions within the art world changed. Today, historians credit Monet’s harbor scene with having sparked the Impressionist movement.
People’s opinions change—sometimes drastically. Paul experienced this when he and his fellow travelers ran aground on Malta (Acts 28:1). The locals welcomed them by kindling a fire. Paul gathered sticks to help, but as he placed the branches onto the blaze, a poisonous snake fled the flames and latched onto his hand. The islanders viewed this as divine payback for some terrible crime they supposed Paul had committed. They “said to each other, ‘A murderer, no doubt!’ ” (Acts 28:4). But their opinion of Paul changed when he didn’t die from the viper’s venom. They then “decided he was a god” (Acts 28:6).
People often form impressions based on incomplete information. We draw faulty conclusions, and our judgments change. As Paul experienced at Malta, the opinions we form are fickle and fleeting. Jesus was celebrated as king on Palm Sunday and then crucified as a criminal on Friday (Matthew 21:9, 27:22). Unlike God’s wisdom, our flickering opinions are not to be trusted.
Instead of jumping to conclusions (1 Corinthians 4:3-5), it’s much wiser to take time to prayerfully bring our first impressions to God. He alone has the true view of each heart and circumstance.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Matthew 6:1-18
More:
Read Joshua 22:9-34 and consider what almost happened when some Israelite tribes jumped to a false conclusion.
Next:
How concerned are you with others’ opinions of you? How can you be more godly and careful in your opinions of others?
Gary Shultz on July 1, 2014 at 6:33 am
Yes, it does seem like the wrong story is the one we enjoy and jumping to conclusions the a type of exercise we employ. That response thing instead of react, is not a well followed format.
gina on July 1, 2014 at 7:03 am
This is so true, we tend to judge things on what we visually think is right, based on a circumstance. This is seen all throughout the book of Job. People/Friends forming opinions based on their own perception, rather than seeking the Lord for wisdom.
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Tom Felten on July 1, 2014 at 9:28 am
Yes, our opinions are fickle . . . but I’m so glad God’s love for us doesn’t change! May we choose to see others through His eyes.
Roxanne Robbins on July 1, 2014 at 3:40 pm
Prior to reading this, hadn’t thought of how quickly Paul’s observers vacillated from believing he was a murderer to believing he was a god. Really captures our human nature when we fail to filter the judgments we cast through the Lord.
Winn Collier on July 4, 2014 at 1:05 am
in recent conversations on reconciliation at our church, we’ve also been thinking about all the subconscious judgements we make, the ways we have impressions of others without ever realizing it.