8/21/18
“I shut my eyes in order to see.” – Paul Gauguin
There are a few roads we could travel with this quote, and I may revisit it later, but today I’d like to wander down the path of our perceptions and judgments of people and situations.
Most of our perceptions about “reality” come from what we think we see and hear, but I’ve found that I can only trust (accept as truth) about 25% of what I hear from others (second hand – often gossip… that’s bad – don’t partake in gossip), about 50% of what I hear for myself first-hand, and about 65% of what I see, because I naturally have a flawed framework of sorting, grouping, classifying, and making judgments about what I see and hear based on my life experiences. This problem is compounded exponentially the more “flawed framework” people you add into the equation (Note: we’re all flawed).
However, if we could just shut our eyes and close our ears for a moment and see the heart of the issue (the thing that drives it)… if we could just attempt to understand the flawed frameworks of the people and situations in front of us, then I believe we would begin to see truth and little more clearly, and our perception of reality would lead us to better conclusions, judgments, and solutions.
My Girls, I Hope and Pray that you will remain humble in your perceptions of Truth and Judgment as it relates to people and situations – always remembering that you are not perfect. Attempt to see the heart of the issue, focus on the outcome you would like to achieve, and always remember that relationships are more important than your need to be right in your own mind.
Challenge Question: What opportunities for seeing truth do you have TODAY?
God’s Word: Revelation 21:1-5, 1st Corinthians 13:12-13, and Ephesians 6:12-19
Dad's Wisdom 