Be Kind to One Another: Guest writer Katherine Pasour

Today I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Katherine Pasour as my guest. Katherine has recently released a devotional for upcoming college freshmen. Her experiences teaching thousands of students has given her a front row seat to the new challenges students face. Read on and if you know a student ready to set out for college, please consider gifting her book to them.

My mother was a kind, humble woman who once (probably more than once) reminded me not to make negative comments about other people—especially when I didn’t know their circumstances. She was my first teacher in the practice of not passing unwarranted judgment on others.

Sometimes we’re placed in a new environment and we meet new people who look, act, or think differently than what we’re accustomed to. We may form opinions about these people without taking the time to learn more about them.

This tendency to pass judgment on others can happen at any point in our lives, but our young adults may be particularly vulnerable after high school graduation as they make the transition into a job or college. In this new environment, they will come in contact with peers of different races, cultures, religions, and beliefs.

Below, is an excerpt from Stay the Course: A Devotional Handbook to Survive and Thrive in Your First Year of College (and Beyond). The guide offers practical advice, spiritual guidance, tips to adjust to the new environment of college, and encouragement to persevere through the “bumps in the road” all students will experience.

We hope and pray our college students will use wisdom and discernment to choose friends wisely, gather a support group of students who will encourage academic success, and will not be tempted to join the “party” crowd. However, with discernment, we pray for kindness, compassion, and empathy and that these young adults will be careful not to unfairly judge or categorize others unfairly. (I’ve found this is a lesson that we adults, beyond college age, need to continually remind ourselves of).

Be Careful Not To Judge

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

Jesus is speaking to His disciples, reminding them (and us) of how we should treat others. In the same chapter of Luke (vs 41-42), Jesus questions: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank you your own eye?

College offers a cross section of life for you to make hasty judgments. It becomes easy to develop feelings of frustration and anger when you believe your needs are not being met. You may feel the urge to judge other students, your instructors, members of clubs or teams of which you are a part, campus support personnel, library and food service staff, etc. In this section, we examine relationships that you will form as part of your college experience and discuss strategies you can use to keep these relationships functional, meaningful, and amiable.

Prayer: Father, there are so many people on campus that I need to work with. Some haven’t been friendly or helpful. I pray you will grant me the ability to reach out to those that will guide and assist me in my college experience and that we will be kind and courteous in all our interactions.

Prayer request from Katherine—I hope you will join me in praying for all our high school graduates. It’s a tough world out there!

About Katherine:

Dr. Katherine Pasour holds degrees in health and physical education and religion, and a PhD in education, She is a retired college professor who has taught and mentored thousands of students. An outdoor girl at heart, Katherine enjoys her farm animals, gardening, and hiking.

You can connect with Katherine at https://katherinepasour.com or through social media on Facebook and Instagram (KatherinePasourAuthor, or X (Twitter @katherinepasour). Katherine’s books, Honoring God with My Body: Journey to Wellness and a Healthy Lifestyle and Stay the Course are available at all major booksellers.