by Believing in the best of people means assuming they have good intentions and are capable of positive actions, fostering trust and encouraging positive interactions
Scripture is filled with exhortations to set our minds on things above, not on the negatives we see around us on earth. God asks us to “not consider a wrong suffered” in 1 Corinthians 13 and to only consider the things that are pure, lovely, just and of good report—which includes how we think about people and relationships.
But what does that look like in our daily experiences? And how does this become the way we see, think, speak and act towards everyone we know?
How we see other people is often an image of how we see ourselves.
Our acceptance of others is a significant indicator of our own self-acceptance in Christ. If we remain blind to the freedom, grace and unconditional love of God towards us, we will be unable to see His intention to be the same in our personal relationships.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 says that in Christ, a veil is taken away so that we can see Him the way He really is. And when we have that experience, we are being transformed into His image—which means we’ll be reflecting that to everyone we meet!
We can believe the best about others when we have believed the truth about who we are to Jesus.
If we try to believe the best in our relationships based on sheer willpower, we will eventually come to the end of our own strength. If we come to God first and restore our souls in how He believes the best of us, then we will have an abundance of goodness to give away.
Instead of “believing the best” becoming a command that we feel the weight of keeping, our experience of God becomes a place of restoration—no matter how other people are behaving.
Giving others the benefit of the doubt will lessen the doubts you have about yourself. This enables us to express an incredible depth of love and freedom to people. We are bestowing the gift of acceptance and receiving it afresh with each transaction.
So consider taking these steps:
1. Read the scriptures about how God desires us to believe the best from a stance that He is going to be all these things to you first.
Start by receiving, not doing. From that place, passages like 1 Corinthians 13:7-8, Romans 12:10-12, Philippians 4:8 and Luke 6:31 create a sense of anticipation for you, not apprehension that you can’t live up to them.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to see people as He does.
Look at them through His eyes and think of what you would say from that perspective. Be aware that tense moments in healthy relationships give you special opportunities to practice His perspective.
3. Affirm hope.
Believing the best is not about ignoring people’s faults, but about recognizing that most people desire to become more than they currently are. God is a God of hope. (Romans 15:13)
