Do you think you know?

Have you ever been in a position where you thought you knew, but found out you did not? Have you ever believed an information or even in an individual and found that you were in error? I found myself in that position recently and it was humbling. You see, I’d been invited to speak at a female ministers’ summit and I believed that I knew the location of the venue. What was the basis of my belief? I had the address in my text message inbox and I had also visited the venue in a previous summit though I was chauffeured on that day. I calculated how much time it would take me there and set out. Now, a popular eatery and confectionary shop was the landmark for the venue and I thought it was a done deal. I drove to the location I believed was the venue and did not find it. I made a U-turn twice on the highway believing that I may just have missed it. But twice, a fruitless effort and the time ticked away. Alas, I was scheduled as the first speaker! Then I thought, maybe I should keep driving further down the highway…may be the confectionary shop may be tucked at some junction down the road. And I kept driving until I was nearly out of the city! Finally, it dawned on me that I did not know the way to the venue of the meeting! As I parked my car by the side of the highway in sheer disbelief of my predicament, this thought dropped in my spirit…’you never really know as you think you know.’ Now, the Lord has asked us not to worry nor be anxious about anything, but I must confess that I was a tiny bit troubled for a minute, there. Why? I was concerned about other issues and areas of my life that I may be so wrong, too. Isn’t it the very same reason we marry the wrong partners and lead our lives to dead ends? Could it also be why we make wrong business investments that put us in the strangle hold of debts? The direction our lives take is based on the information we have and the way we process the information we receive. Sometimes, we may have the right information, but our minds may process the information wrongly. For instance in my own case, I had the correct information, but a presumption that ‘I knew it’ was my bane and it prevented me from asking for direction early on. The passionate preacher, Apollos, in Acts 18: 24-28 was “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures…fervent in the spirit…” but he only knew a half of the message he was passionately preaching. In other words, Apollos did not know as he thought he did. No matter how passionately we tell a story if it is a lie, it can never be turned into the truth. A loud voice does not necessarily tell the truth.

Thankfully, Apollos was a teachable man and when two concerned believers heard him, they took him aside and taught him the complete gospel. Just imagine that Apollos never crossed paths with these two individuals. What a disaster that would have been! He would have been going around preaching a half truth and misinforming people! How many people has God sent our way to help us but we have disdained and disrespected? We may be more educated, but somebody knows something we do not know. It is only the humble and teachable that will grow in knowledge and wisdom. Pride will inhibit us from knowing more. Humility is the only way up, so we must humble ourselves and ask questions when in doubt or confused. You have your strength and I have mine, but we must share our strengths and gifts so that we may soar like the eagle uninhibited by storms.

We must also read because knowledge is progressive. We must read our bibles daily and read books from tested and anointed authors of proven records. In our various disciplines and vocations, we must read and study to be effective and employable. I have discovered that age is not really the issue in selecting candidates to fill vacant positions, the real issue is employability. An unemployable individual is one who does not read, one who does not pay attention to personal development. If you are 40yrs old and you have the trending skills and competencies for a position, you would be taken over a 25yr old who does not read. Even the great Apostle Paul was given to reading. In a letter, he instructed Timothy, his spiritual son to do the same. He wrote saying, “Till I come give attention to reading…” In spite of all his many exploits in ministry his fervent cry was that he may know Christ and the power of His resurrection. If a man like Apostle Paul kept his hunger and thirst for knowledge on, you and I cannot afford to get tired of learning. It is my prayer therefore that we will be provoked to go on a quest for knowledge especially in the Lord and renew our minds so that we may be transformed day by day into the likeness of our beloved Saviour Jesus. Peace and joy be multiplied onto you in Jesus name.