It's so easy

I wonder how much time we spend "thin slicing"?  And, why we do it?  So, you say....what's "thin slicing"?  It's a nice term for:

•  being judgmental,  
• drawing conclusions about someone (often erroneous) based on incomplete information
• putting someone down in our thinking
• condemning others who are not like us
• making ourselves feel superior

It's one of those not so little games we allow our minds to play.  And many times it is a game in which we are the only participants (other than the one(s) being "thin sliced").  It's not a mentally, emotionally, or spiritually healthy exercise for us to be involved in.....and yet we do it.  When we are playing that mind game we are not directly hurting the other person....after all, they don't know we are doing it.  Or do they?  We are really hurting ourselves.  We are feeding our pride, and patting our ego on the back when we do it.  And that robs us of our ability to be real because it is feeding a false illusion we have of ourselves.

Why do we do it?  One.....because it is so easy.  Two....because we are flawed.  We strive to be more Christ like, do we not?  And yet, we "thin slice".  Are there any examples in the Word of Jesus "thin slicing" during His time on earth?  Hardly.  And yet we, while striving to be more Christ like, find ourselves doing it. 

Recognizing that we are doing it as we go about our business each day is a great start in the battle (yes, battle) to overcome our propensity to "thin slice".  To recognize it is to acknowledge that there is something about us that needs fixing...a huge step forward.  And when we recognize it for what it is we are then afforded a chance to do a bit of self talk to remind ourselves that this just isn't good, healthy thinking.  This can then lead us to sharing this with God in our prayers, which should also include asking for forgiveness as well as asking for help in overcoming this shortcoming we have.  It may not leave us right away, but it will surely diminish over time.  Progress over perfection !

If it is so easy to "thin slice", does not it also seem easy, and simple, to overcome it....and in doing so becoming a much more real person, a more transparent person?