Wait a Minute
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 18:17
The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.
My natural bent is toward gullibility. I tend to lean toward believing people. I want to take people at their word and accept that they are telling me the truth. The older I’ve gotten; I have learned to battle against that instinct. Other people are the exact opposite of me. They tend to disbelieve everyone and everything. Their level of trust is zero.
There is a better middle ground. Rather than accepting everything or disbelieving everything, we can simply withhold judgment for a time. We can wait until we hear both sides of an argument. We can gather as much information as possible.
Lately, I’ve been trying to learn how to be a thoughtful man. Taking in information, thinking rationally and biblically about it, and then making a judgment about it.
This proverb makes the simple point that we shouldn’t pass judgment after hearing only one point of view. Wait a minute. Hear the other side(s) and then come to a conclusion.
