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Transcript of the video

Hello and welcome to giveattentiontoreading.com, where you can get your daily dose of the Great Physician’s medicine. Today’s reading comes from Acts chapter 21 and 22. I’d like to give attention to Acts 21:27-29.

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Now, I’m well aware that this passage is not in the Bible to teach us something about communication. I understand that it’s telling us about how Paul got arrested and put in prison. But something happens in this passage that happens in my life way to often. And I wanted to share it with you.

These Jews assumed that Paul had brought Trophimus into the temple. They had seen him earlier with Trophimus in the city, and they just presumed. This entire uproar could have been avoided if instead of presuming and assuming and jumping to a conclusion about Paul and what he had done, if they had just talked to him about it and just asked to see if that’s really what had happened.

I make this mistake all too often. I hear something, I see something, and I assume that I understand everything about it. I know the person’s motivations, I know their intentions, I know what they were trying to accomplish, and then I start making accusations and even attacking sometimes based on my assumptions. Very often, I’m wrong about all of it. And if I’d simply taken the time to ask, to inquire, I would have found out there was a completely different story behind what was going on. But instead, I attack and accuse and argue and drive a wedge in relationships that could have been completely avoided.

What I’m having to learn is that instead of jumping to conclusions, I need to talk calmly and clearly and gently. “When you said such and such, it made me think, feel, or perceive such and such. Was that your intention?”  ”When  I saw you do this or that, I thought you were trying to do this. Is that what you meant to do?” If I’m right, I’ve laid the groundwork for a positive discussion about whatever happened. If I’m wrong, I can be corrected and the wedge in the relationship can be avoided.

So, today, I don’t want to presume. I don’t want to assume. I want to inquire. I don’t want to accuse and attack based on my assumptions. I want to talk gently and clearly with my family, with my friends, with folks I come in contact with. Then we can improve our relationships instead of destroying our relationships.

How about you?

Thanks again for checking in at giveattentiontoreading.com. I’d love to know what you thought about today’s post or what else you got out of today’s reading. So feel free to drop down to the comments section and join in the discussion. And don’t forget to come back tomorrow for another dose of the Great Physician’s medicine.