Don’t Think You Know It All!

We can easily find information of all types online. That ease may deceive us into thinking that we “know it all” – a belief that can lead to pride.  Instead, Scripture calls us to really love each other – and “don’t think that we know it all!”

Scripture:       

Proverbs, chapters 16-18; Romans, chapter 12

Romans 12:9-18 (NLT):

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Observations:

Don’t think you know it all!  If the advent of the internet has done anything, it has convinced people that they know about everything.  After all, you can type in a search, and all kinds of information just pops up on the screen. The problem is that people aren’t looking to learn; they’re looking for confirmation. They think they know it all, so when they find someone else who agrees with them, they stop looking – convinced that they were right.

This self-assurance leads us away from God’s work in our lives. Paul lists several ways that God wants us to demonstrate what he has done for us:

• “Give your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice” (Romans 12:1)
• “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world” (Romans 12:2)
• “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them” (Romans 12:9)
• “Take delight in honoring each other” (Romans 12:10)
• “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them” (Romans 12:14)
• “Live in harmony with each other” (Romans 12:16)
• “Never pay back evil with more evil” (Romans 12:17)
• “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18)

When we think we know it all, we are unwilling to live in harmony with others – because they need to see things our way! If we’re convinced that we’re right, we become tempted to “fight fire with fire” – or, as Paul puts it, to pay back evil with more evil. When we decide that it’s more important to be “right” than to be “righteous,” living in peace becomes impossible.

Application:

It’s interesting that our Old Testament reading from Proverbs for today focuses on the danger of pride:

• “The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished” (Proverbs 16.5)
• “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18)
• “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 16:25)
• “Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor” (Proverbs 18:12)

What is pride? It is the striving for more – thinking that you know more than others, have more than others, deserve more than others. It is elevating oneself above our fellow humankind – and ultimately, above God himself.

C.S. Lewis said that pride is the “ultimate anti-God state of mind.”  It is the source of all the other sins. No doubt that is why the Church identified it as one of the “seven deadly sins.” It lurks in our hearts because of our sinful nature, but it can be overcome through the work of the Holy Spirit.  But that requires our complete surrender to God – as living sacrifices.

Prayer:

Father, we confess that there are times when we act like we know everything. We want to impress others, to be acknowledged and applauded. But it is far more important that we be like Jesus. Help us each day to surrender to your way, and allow you to direct our steps. When we’re tempted to “think we know it all,” remind us how little we understand – and remind us of our dependence on you.  Amen.