Mind Reader 

By: Carole L. Haines 

Yesterday, I posted a quote by Pete Scazerro, today I will be sharing more deeply about this quote. Here it is again: 

“The ninth commandment reads: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) Every time I make an assumption about someone without confirming it, I am at risk for believing a lie about this person. My assumption is just a breath away from misrepresenting reality. Because I have not checked out my assumption with the other person, it is very possible I am believing something untrue and effectively bearing false witness against my neighbor.”  
(Pete Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Relationships/Day by Day; pg. 68) 

I did it again last night. I assumed I knew what someone was thinking based on a PHONE TEXT. I began to reason things out about that assumption and was beginning to respond in my heart towards that person based on it. This morning I got up to find another text clarifying the first. I was SO wrong, I got it wrong AGAIN.  

I had no idea just how deeply entrenched this habit is in my life. Thinking I know what someone else is thinking, like I am some kind of Mind Reader. When we ask God to do a deep work, He delves into the depths of our souls . This is a Monster of a Habit, like an Octopus whose tentacles reach into so many areas of my life. I would call this a Root Sin, a sin that is thick and difficult to remove. A sin out of which other sins grow. To consider assumptions as possibly bearing false witness against my neighbor has caused me to take this so seriously. 

This is not the kind of sin that can be snipped at the top or even pulled out by hand. This sin is going to require some deep digging around to get all the roots out so that it doesn’t grow back again. Does anyone else struggle with this sin, making assumptions about others and then living out of that lie?  

There is a wonderful verse that God just brought to my mind to help me focus on His way of thinking, instead of my own. 

¹⁴ For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf. 

¹⁶ Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ¹⁸ Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:14-20). 

I have underlined the steps I can see I must take to walk out of this sin in my life.  

1) I need to let the love of Christ control me 

2) I am to no longer live for myself, but for Jesus 

3) I must choose to view all people through the Lens of Christ. To recognize no one according to my own point of view, but God’s. 

4) Embrace the fact that I am called to the ministry of reconciliation 

5) Trust that God had made me righteous in Christ, and that I am becoming the righteousness of God in Him through transformtion.  

Over all, I hear God saying “DO THE DEEP WORK with Me, Carole!” 

Lord, I thank you for loving me too much to leave me as I am, but transforming me instead into the righteousness of God. Guide me to *“take every thought captive and make it obey Christ,” as I grow out of this deeply entrenched way of thinking. I need you so much, Holy Spirit, please guide each and every thought I think. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!!!

• (2 Corinthians 10:5)