"What If I'm Wrong?"

  I'm not trying to promote doubt. I want to take a moment and have us think about this: what you believe, could it be possible that you are wrong? Maybe your conclusion about things is wrong or you are misapplying Scripture?

  There are teachings revealed that are clear cut without a doubt (i.e. baptism, the Supper). Yet there are others that aren't so clear cut and it doesn't take much to see how many times we separate from one another on certain topics. A particular teaching comes along that we are absolutely sure we have hold of and someone shows us somewhere else this might not be a  complete correct view and what do we do? Immediately go into a defense mode! Why how dare someone teach something so false!! Is it really? Why do we have a difficulty in realizing that maybe a conclusion we have come up with might not be complete? The apostle Peter recognized that some of the things the apostle Paul wrote were hard to understand (II Pet. 3:16). Why do we take a stand like they are easy if people would just open their eyes!!!? That's called arrogance. It's this attitude of arrogance that divides us and makes us suspicious of one another.

  Over the years I have many a discussion with my brothers and sisters about certain topics and they just flow with their reasoning's like gooey syrup. They are sincere, well intended and have formed a conviction and I respect them for that. It's their faith, not mine. I must have my faith. The discussion begins and the lines are drawn. Just speaking for me, when I walk away with such discussions, I take seriously what they have shared. My mind mulls it over and then it strikes me: "What if I'm wrong?" That's not a bad place to be. What it makes me do is start over again. I look at passages that have been presented and put other passages that come to my mind. What does it do? Does it create more questions? Sometimes it does but in most of the cases it makes you sit and re-evaluate what led you to your conclusion. Did you get it because someone taught you this way? Was it from a book or paper you read? Did it come from someones persuasive arguments? It's a struggle sometime but it's a good struggle.

  You see, sometimes we can be wrong in a conviction that we concluded years ago. A refusal to listen intently to what God has presented, not just from your angle but the other brother or sister is to help each of us get a better grasp. Instead of taking a arrogant, self-righteous stand, maybe we need to ask: "What if I'm wrong?" That's not a question of doubt but a heart of faith looking intently with faith toward the word of the Lord and see how the whole fits together. That is what will take us into a fuller love and greater faith in the things of the Lord. The only thing we must be concerned with is we aren't carried away by the error of those unprincipled, those who just go with what they want with little restraint in their thinking! In other words, their reasonings mean more than Scripture. Be honest! Be humble!