According to Webster’s dictionary speculation means to review something idly or casually and often inconclusively. My definition is; filling in the blanks when you don’t have all the facts.

Lately, a lot of speculation has been seen on every TV channel concerning Flight 370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The known facts were limited or not released by the Malaysian government so experts from every area of aviation were consulted to analyze why the plane flew into the night never to be heard from again.

Human nature draws us to the unknown. Our curiosity is ignited when we are presented with a mystery. Our imagination is kicked into speculation mode.

That happened to me this week when I was reading the police report in the paper. The name of an old friend seemed to jump out at me causing my heart to miss a beat. I hadn’t seen her in several years and was shocked to see she had been arrested for transporting a controlled substance. The same account reported that her son had been arrested for making and selling a controlled substance. She was a struggling, single mother when I knew her and by now her children would be grown. What happened, I wondered.

My instant, human reaction was to call a mutual friend to see how our friend was doing. Okay, truthfully, I wanted to see if she knew about the arrest. I thought about it and decided not to speculate on the situation. Instead I prayed for my friend and her present troubles. I didn’t have to know the facts to ask God to meet her needs.

Seeking the facts should be our first concern. Our nature may speculate about the unknown but that doesn’t mean we have to give voice to it. Wondering what happened to the Boeing 777 with nearly 250 people on board will tease our curiosity until facts are located. Without that evidence, speculation that destroys someone’s reputation should be discarded.

The truth of the mystery may never be solved in our life time. I Corinthians 4:5, “Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

Have you ever speculated about someone’s actions only to find out you were wrong?