Have you ever looked at someone and wondered, “How could they make that choice? Why would they respond that way? What could they possibly be thinking?”

Perhaps the truth is that we are judging a chapter of their story that we have never had to live.

There are some things you will never truly understand until you have occupied that space and experienced it for yourself. There are also things you may never experience and that is okay. We are not called to understand every journey; we are called to extend grace along the way.

Sometimes, we are quick to judge another person’s decisions, reactions, or circumstances because their story does not look like ours. But what if we paused long enough to consider that their struggle may be something we have never had to carry?

“You cannot fully understand a journey you have never had to walk, but you can choose to walk beside someone without judging their steps.”

Scripture reminds us, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” — Luke 6:37 (NIV)

Over time and distance, relationships may bring us closer together or cause us to grow further apart. But let it not be because we refused to understand the plight of another’s hand.

Understanding does not always require agreement. Compassion does not require us to have lived the same experience. Sometimes, it simply requires humility the willingness to say, “I may not understand your journey, but I respect that it is yours.”

Prayer

Lord, give us hearts that are slow to judge and quick to extend grace. Help us remember that every person carries a story, a burden, and a journey we may never fully know. Teach us to listen before we speak, understand before we judge, and love even when we cannot relate. Give us compassion for the places we have never walked. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

#LEAP