Allow Him to guide our thoughts

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5 NIV)

 It’s natural to make assumptions about people. Sadly, what we tend to assume is often something negative. Personally, I have seen how very easy it is to do this.
 I think this common human weakness of assuming the negative or drawing negative conclusions indicates how important it is that we actively and continually work to take on the mind of Christ. For many of us, it takes a conscious effort to avoid defaulting to these negative tendencies.
 When a person’s motives are unknown and we don’t agree with their actions or perspectives, or they rub us the wrong way, it’s easy to conclude that their motives are more likely to be wrong than right. This perspective leads to wrong conclusions.
 However, when we look to Jesus and allow Him to guide our thoughts, His love provides that “extra spiritual eye.” He can show us things as He sees them.
 The Bible admonishes us to think on the good things, the things of good report, the beautiful, the kind, the loving, and to use compassion and mercy rather than assuming the worst.
 I’ve found that the more I have practiced letting the Lord guide my thoughts to the good, the more I move toward making this a habit. —Maria Fontaine [1]

 Criticism should be like rain; gentle enough to nourish someone’s growth without destroying their roots. —Frank A. Clark

[1] Anchor The Compassion Game