It’s been said there are two kinds of people in the world ... those who KNOW they don’t know ... and those who DON’T know they don’t know. I used to be the latter. I thought I knew everything. I thought I understood God. I thought I understood what it meant to follow Him. I thought I understood how to lead a great church. I thought I understood spiritual leadership. I thought I understood what it meant to be a great husband and dad.
Recently however, I came to this startling truth: I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING I THOUGHT I KNEW. I don’t understand God like I thought. I don’t know how to be a great pastor or spiritual leader or husband or dad like I thought. I don’t know how to lead my church into the future God has for it like I thought.
KFA-ers, does that frighten you? It shouldn’t. It should scare you, instead, that at one time I thought I knew all that stuff - because I really didn’t. I just didn’t know that I didn’t know. To me, that’s when we should be scared. To me, that’s when we’re really stupid ... when we’re too prideful to admit we don’t know all the stuff we think we know or say we know ... to think we can put God in a box ... to think just because God speaks to us that we can go do it in our own power.
Nope. I’m glad God is bringing me back to the point where I realize and acknowledge that I don’t know anything. Now I actually need Him. Now I understand I really can’t do anything without Him. Now I’m desperate to hear from Him. I’m prayerfully desperate for Him to bring clarity to my calling and my church’s mission and purpose. Now I’m becoming wiser because I understand that all the things I don’t know, God knows.
So while I admit I don’t know much of anything, there is one thing I guess I might know: That in the future - when I feel like I know something - that I’ve got some things really figured out - that at that point I’ll be falling right back into self-sufficiency and stupidity once again - that everything will then come crashing down - that I’ll have to repent and re-confess that I don’t know anything I thought I knew.
Does any of this make sense to you?
And be blessed.
8 comments:
It makes perfect sense to me, as I am always open to others thoughts and minds sharper than my own.
I actually find it endearing that you shared this with us. I find discussion eye-opening. You tell me what's on your mind and I tell you my perspective. Since I have gotten to know you, you have given me a glimpse into the church...and I think my experience comes from the outside world. I know you said you want to develop a greater love of your community. My voice is certainly not the only one, but I can and do give you a flavor of what it is like out there.
It is hard to have one toe in the Christian world and the rest of me in the outside world. It is far too easy to stray.
Thank you for sharing this. There is much I don't know, as well. I promise to share things with you and I will look forward to yo sharing things, as well. :)
Almost. You don't give yourself enough credit. You do KNOW that we are all helpless without Him and you do KNOW that we need to seek Him every day. You do KNOW that we will never have all of the answers. God lets us KNOW all that we need to KNOW.
Yes it makes sense, it also alarms me personally that you/one haven't/hasn't shared (assumption) the holy spirit working through you? If the holy spirit has been working through you, you'd be assured. There are no doubts nor do you find yourself questioning your direction. I myself have experiened the holy spirit working through me and witness the result. When in doubt or questioning my direction I know I am not aligned with the holy spirit.I catch myself daily or ramdomly. Old habits are hard to break not impossible and new habits are easy to attain but not perfect. We will never know all that God knows. As we know "He" knows where we are in our hearts. It sounds like we all experience similiar struggles with keeping ourselves aligned...Proverbs is helping me in this area as well. That's where I am or believe to be today.
Actually ANON - I thought that was what I WAS saying -- that unless I give it to God and let HIM do the work, then I don't know anything at all. TO-MAY-TO, TO-MAH-TO.
When I first read it, it didn't indicate that to me at all. My apology:)
No problem -- it happens. LOL.
Maybe i didn't say it strongly enough. Sometimes when I write, I subliminally expect people to fill in some blanks so it's not always so obvious. Just my style - for good or for bad (maybe for bad this time).
I think it was this paragraph where I was trying to communicate my need for God and hearing from him when i said in the blog: "I’m glad God is bringing me back to the point where I realize and acknowledge that I don’t know anything. Now I actually need Him. Now I understand I really can’t do anything without Him. Now I’m desperate to hear from Him."
Yes, God/holy spirit:) Isn't it amazing how different things turn out when we are led by the holy spirit than ourselves. Yet, it is ourselves we are in him he in us:)What a wonderful testamony to share and help others by our own example.
Wow, PK...thanks for sharing your heart. That was good and I hope that God is as faithful to you as I know He has been to me.
Sometimes, His faithfulness to me has been a tough one with deep cleansings and learning things that are hard to 'swallow'.
I know that He isn't finished with any of us yet and He uses all those that are willing.
One time, you said, "Know why God doesn't use perfect people? Because there are no perfect people...we are all imperfect". I have never forgotten that and I have helped others with that, using it for them.
I thank God He is not finished with us and that He is faithful to continue to grow us as we go walking along with Him.
Post a Comment