Fix Your Face...?

Some of us think we are so observant that we can read people. We tell ourselves that just by looking at the expression on their faces, we understand what’s going on in their hearts and minds. Most of us are wrong.

I’ve said before that I am not a natural smiler. Recently, I saw comedy routine on the Internet and I thought it was funny so I shared it with my husband. He ended up almost falling off the couch from laughing so hard. I actually thought that his laughter was funnier than the routine. If someone had been watching us, they probably would’ve thought I was bored by the act. There was no second-guessing the fact that my husband thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. My face doesn’t always reflect what I’m feeling inside, laughter and joy are examples.

Some people are quite loud and boisterous; this might make one think that they were very confident and self-assured. I have found that the amount of noise people make is indicative of how much they need attention. Secure people don’t need to be in the spotlight all the time. Conversely, some of the most quiet people might seem extremely shy and insecure. In fact, they might simply be avoiding conflict by keeping their opinions to themselves. They are very confident in their beliefs and values; they just don’t need to tell everybody.

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover; I believe this applies to people and their facial expressions as well. It’s been said that comedians may be the saddest people you’ll ever meet. They need to make other people laugh as a way of proving their own worth. They give to their audiences what they need for themselves.

We need to be very careful when we make a snap judgment about someone simply because of the way their face is put together. Before you can judge someone, you have to walk a mile in their shoes. I know a lot of people that wear the same size shoes I wear, but not every shoe in that size fits all of us.

Judgment can be a terrible thing, and the Bible says that only God has the right to judge us. Before you judge someone else’s expressions, make sure that your own is welcoming and open. Fix your face before you critique someone else’s.