When Your Assumptions Are Wrong
By Jessica Brodie
Have you ever made assumptions about people that turned out to be dead wrong? That was me last weekend, and my mistake made me miss an opportunity to worship with a new friend.
My husband and I enjoy Jeeping and camping, also called overlanding, whenever we have the opportunity. As a city girl raised in Miami and far more comfortable with sidewalks and concrete than the great outdoors, outdoorsy life is something I discovered as an adult, and now I absolutely love being in nature. Whenever I spend quality time in creation, something in my soul opens and releases in a new and beautiful way, and I draw closer to the Lord.
Recently we traveled to Florida for what’s called an overlanding expo, where a bunch of likeminded people who enjoy camping with vehicles get together, learn new things, and shop from vendors who sell a lot of the equipment they need for this lifestyle. On Saturday night, we had an amazing time sitting around a campfire with perfect strangers who very quickly became friends, men and women who spend a ton of their time traveling all around the country in their campers. Most of them are retired, and they were a joy to hang out and spend time with.
As a Christian, I typically find myself talking a lot about faith and God, but that night it hadn’t come up. Early the next morning, Sunday, Matt and I overslept and rushed out of our tent to a church service at a nearby campsite. As I hurried along, I passed our friends from the night before, all busy making breakfast, and almost called out a quick invitation to join us for worship. Then I thought, “Nah, this isn’t their thing,” and just kept on walking.
We had a great time at worship and came back renewed and refreshed. My husband makes YouTube videos about our trips, and he was telling his viewers about the church service we had gone to. (You can see Matt’s video about our trip by clicking here.)
When he’d finished, one of the people from the night before came up to us. Apparently he’d heard what Matt said. The man was smiling, a big, sappy grin on his face, and he said, ‘I knew I liked you guys before, but now I know—we’re all going to the same place.”
He pointed heavenward, his grin stretching even wider, and I realized: We were talking to a brother in Christ.
My heart rose—then immediately sank as I realized my sin. I’d felt the nudge to invite others along to worship, but I ignored it. I could have so easily invited him that morning, but in my selfishness, arrogance, and narrowmindedness, I made assumptions that were wrong.
How often do we do that? How often do I do that? I assume people might not be interested or willing to go to church with me, and I make the decision for them. That’s wrong. Everybody is invited to the table, and what’s more, it’s really hard to tell on the outside what’s going on with the person inside. Assumptions can be dangerous—and deadly.
It wasn’t that I was afraid of rejection, or had reason to fear persecution or attack. Nope. In this case, I genuinely assumed they would have absolutely no interest.
And I was wrong.
It’s arrogant and egocentric to make assumptions about other people. We think we have somebody figured out when all we know is their public persona. But we human beings are like layered onions. At our core most of us know God, or at least we desperately want to. Think of all the Christians in our midst that we don’t even know about—or the not-yet Christians, people who could become Christians if only we extended a hand.
God’s kingdom is not a club. It’s not exclusive. Everybody is welcome, and we don’t get to decide ahead of time who wants to be part of it. It doesn’t hurt a single thing to ask someone with an open mind and an open heart whether they want to come along to worship. All it can do is help.
I pray I’ll remember that next time.
How about you? Have you ever made the wrong assumption?
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”—Romans 10:14-15 NIV
Want to help sponsor Jessica Brodie’s writing ministry by becoming a patron on Patreon? Click here.
Thanks to my Patreon sponsors: Matt Brodie, Emily Dodd, Kathleen Patella, Billy Robinson, Yancy Rose, and Lanny Turner.
SHARE TODAY’S BLOG ON SOCIAL MEDIA: CLICK HERE OR THE SOCIAL LINKS BELOW.