You never know what someone else may be going through. They may look like they have it all together, and yet, below the surface, they may be struggling. Maybe it’s relational or financial stress, or some other issue that’s tearing them apart inwardly. And all the while, no one else has any idea.
Others, however, aren’t able to completely disguise what they’re going through. Eventually the internal turmoil begins to bubble up in the way they relate to others. Maybe they have a shorter temper, or become increasingly rude. And although people like this can be difficult to deal with, if we know they’re going through a tough time, that knowledge in itself can affect the way we relate to them. We may take things less personally, being more patient and understanding.
The challenge is that often we just don’t know what’s going on below the surface. In those cases, especially when we’re tempted to snap back, it’s still better to be gracious and give others the benefit of the doubt, assuming something else is driving this hurtful behavior. Not only does doing so have a transformative affect on our own hearts, but in some cases, the bit of grace we extend might be the very thing they needed most.