What burdens do we carry without ever even knowing they are there? 

Last night I started a post about false perceptions and how I recently heard them described as "The hurricane that disrupts all relationships."  As I was writing I began chatting about it to my housemate, coming up with all kinds of silly, daily examples of how we misperceive reality and land ourselves in a mess, believing and spreading misunderstandings and outright lies, and carrying burdens we were never meant to carry.

Later that evening, I found myself telling her a story about something that happened back in university days.  I recalled how devastated I was by events that happened. I felt like there had been a conspiracy against me, the incident had affected me for years to come.  I was even sharing it in that moment because I feared would happen again.  She looked at me and said, "Is that really what happened, or is it how you perceived it?"  I was immediately caught...

In that moment, I realized that fifteen years ago I interpreted an event one way, and made up the thoughts and intentions of a group of people that were potentially utterly untrue.  And last night while riding on the underground I uncovered the lie.  It only took a moment, I laughed awkwardly at myself and realized that I am not exempt from this whole arena of false perceptions.  

They happen every day...someone walks by you and doesn't say hi, and you spend the rest of the week wondering why they were upset with you, maybe asking someone else if they know anything.  You lead worship and everyone seems to be standing with stone-cold faces, and you think you've utterly failed.  You don't get a job and you think there was foul play.  It goes on and on. 

There are two issues at work here:

One is that I have misunderstood a situation, and rather than going and speaking directly to the person or group involved, I have believed my interpretation of events, and potentially begun to "process" it with another, triangulating them in to the situation, and potentially slandering another human being...the evolution of gossip, which leads to pain for all involved.

Second, I have carried a wound that I was never intended to carry.  Even if a person's intentions were hurtful, I have missed out an opportunity for reconciliation and picked up a burden to add to a collection that will one day overwhelm me.

What are the options then?  I think there is a very practical level of spiritual formation at work here...In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul calls the Corinthians, and in turn, us, to take every thought captive.  Just before this he affirms that we fight with spiritual weapons, not worldly weapons.  I believe that much of the damage taking place in the church today is due to these false perceptions, either on a personal or a corporate level, and devastatingly on a denominational level.  We must begin to take these thoughts captive and to be proactive about good and true communication.  Once we identify our false perceptions, we can begin to look at what was underneath them.  What was it in me that needed to believe there was foul play because I didn't get the job?  What did I fear so much that I was certain someone would be upset with me?  And why couldn't I go and talk to them?  What if everyone was stone-cold in worship?  What in me needs to define my success or failure on how they react? 

My question for you is where do you see false perceptions in your own life?  Take a few minutes and ask the Holy Spirit if he wants to reveal to you any places where you have interpreted a situation without talking it through with others involved?  Are you carrying a burden that you were never meant to carry?  What does Jesus want to say to you in this?