by Zeke Flores<\/p>\n
Sometimes, we say, “Give me the benefit of the doubt.”<\/p>\n
We want some leeway, some wiggle room, some consideration, some understanding. But are we willing to extend that same courtesy to others? The church and the world would undoubtedly be better off if we were as patient with others as we expect them to be with ourselves. If you put up with yourself, why not put up with everyone else?<\/p>\n
“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you<\/em>” (Matthew 7:2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, we say, “Give me the benefit of the doubt.” We want some leeway, some wiggle room, some consideration, some understanding. But are we willing to extend that same courtesy to others? The church and the world would undoubtedly be better off if we were as patient with others as we expect…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[952,1698,761],"class_list":["post-83859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-compassion","tag-sympathy","tag-understanding"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":98541,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-chronically-late-people-seeking-attention\/","url_meta":{"origin":83859,"position":0},"title":"Are chronically late people seeking attention?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear Minister, Have you ever encountered members who want to be noticed or seen by others? For example, I know a husband and wife who almost always come in after class on Sunday mornings and walk in when everyone else is seated and the announcements have started. They always\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":69486,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/finding-the-words-to-say\/","url_meta":{"origin":83859,"position":1},"title":"Finding the Words to Say","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ross Ward, Jr. \"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers\" (Ephesians 4:29). Have you spent time meditating on how to address a difficult situation? If you are considerate of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60400,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/insecurity\/","url_meta":{"origin":83859,"position":2},"title":"Insecurity","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 20, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Matthew W. Bassford The other night, I dreamed about my high-school crush. This was strange; I haven't had any contact with her for a quarter century. Perhaps my life is passing before my eyes in slow motion. It did remind me, though, of the way things went with her.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24829,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/novel-understanding\/","url_meta":{"origin":83859,"position":3},"title":"Novel Understanding","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 17, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer I don\u2019t try to be novel in my understanding of Scripture. I am not aware of any particular view I hold on specific passages that is \u201cway out there\u201d compared to how others generally and historically see the same passages. That is not to say that there\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/books-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":47293,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-danger-of-doubt\/","url_meta":{"origin":83859,"position":4},"title":"The Danger of Doubt","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Larry Rouse \"If you were to die today, do you know where you will spend eternity?\" This is a question that others have asked me and one that I have asked others. John wrote so that \"you may know that you have eternal life\" (I John 5:13). Men today\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":47287,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/people-are-just-like-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":83859,"position":5},"title":"People Are Just Like Me","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer People often assume that others will act, react, and operate on the same basis that they do. If some are liars, they will assume the same of everyone else. If they operate \"in the shadows,\" they will assume the same of others. 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