Jumping to Conclusions

The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions. 

This well-worn jibe is used to describe those (myself included at times) who react rather than reflect and jump to conclusions about people and situations instead of considering whether there might be more to the story than meets the eye. 

The writer of Proverbs highlights the danger of this personal predilection. Solomon writes in Proverbs 18:13, “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” 

Jumping to conclusions has resulted in innocent people being wrongly imprisoned, false rumors ruining people’s lives and otherwise healthy relationships being permanently damaged.  

Why do we do it? Sometimes it is because we have already formed an opinion about someone or something. Other times it reveals laziness in our thinking, bitterness rooted in our heart or underlying suspicions about the motivations or competency of others.  

Jumping to conclusions is easy, but discerning clearly about people and situations is necessary for pastors, elders and ministry leaders.  

How can we avoid jumping to conclusions? Here are five suggestions:  

1. Wait for the facts about people and situations: Leadership author Stephen Covey wrote in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”  

Wise reporters live by the adage that it’s better to be right than to be first. Those in ministry leadership owe it to those we lead, and the Lord we serve, to wait for the facts before reaching our conclusions.  

2. Believe the best about other people: One reason we jump to conclusions is because we believe in our hearts the worst about people. We have already decided that they are mean-spirited, uncaring, prejudiced, stubborn minded or any other number of flawed human characteristics. 1 Corinthians 13 challenges us to take a redemptive approach in the way we view others. Paul, in describing Christian love, wrote in verse seven, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”   

A Gospel Coalition article about this verse stated: 

To “believe all things” means that we give others the benefit of the doubt. It means that we expect the best. It means that we are able to overlook the offenses and failure of others. It means we believe that over time we can commit ourselves to one another. “Believing all things” means that we are willing to trust one another. 

Life is much better, less stressful and more God honoring when we decide up front that we will believe the best about people until they prove us wrong.  

3. Challenge your assumptions: One practice that can help us avoid jumping to conclusions is to “name it, claim it and then reframe it.” Once you have reached a conclusion, state it out loud. After stating it out loud, naming it, then claim it by saying this is what I believe at this moment. After you have claimed it, then reframe it. Consider other possibilities.  

Here’s an example. There is frequent construction work happening on the route I take to work which often squeezes traffic down to one lane. It is also common for drivers to pass all the cars waiting in line to get to the front of the line. When that happens, I instantly pass judgement on those drivers. I decide in my heart that they are entitled, self-centered or believe their time is more important than mine. If I reframe it, I can consider other options and not think so poorly about the neighbor I do not know. My assumption may be correct, but I should at least give the benefit of the doubt that I could be wrong.  

4. Ask God to help you grow: Jumping to conclusions does not honor Jesus and allows suspicions and harmful assumptions to live unchallenged in our hearts. It can lead to all the dangers listed above and more. The good news for Christian pastors, elders and ministry leaders is that God is at work in our lives. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” When we confess the sin of judging others before having all the facts, then we are joining our Heavenly Father as He sanctifies us in the truth.  

This is one more way that pastors, elders and ministry leaders can help those we serve to grow in Christ.