It's Good to be Wrong

Man, I hate the feeling of being wrong.  You know when you say the wrong thing to a girl, or you’re so sure that something happened and then found out it didn’t.  Or how about the feeling you get when you receive a test or quiz back and you see all the things that are marked wrong.  It sort of sinks in your gut a bit.  

We tend to laugh at people who got things wrong as well.  Think about how scientific people talk about those in the past who believed the earth was flat or that the sun revolved around the earth.  They’re such dopes, right?! 

I don’t think so.  I’m glad Galileo came around and helped us realize that the earth revolves around the sun.  However, it was smart of people, before that, to make theories like thinking the sun revolved around the earth or that the earth was flat, even though they were wrong.  They took data as they knew it and put ideas together.  Their risk was worth it because it helped us progress in our understanding of the world and, eventually, enabled others (like Galileo) to figure out a better understanding. 

I’m starting to feel this way about God.  I have spent so much time in the past afraid to make choices because I wanted to make sure it was the right thing.  What did God want?  What was the best decision?  How can I keep God from being mad at me?

In college I liked this girl in one of my classes and I went back and forth in prayer for long periods of time about whether it was God’s will for us to date.  

I recall talking to a friend and sharing my dilemma.  His deep, spiritual response was: “Just ask her out, Kurt!”  So, I did.  Guess what?  She had a boyfriend I didn’t know about.  It was a little awkward, but it was fine and now I could move on. 

Our Dad in heaven wants us to be wise, of course, but many times I think He would just say, “Son, go for it” or “Daughter, just do something.  Yeah, you might be wrong in the end, but make your best guess with a heart that trusts Me and make a choice.” 

Many of the most significant things I’ve learned about life, relationships, and God have come from making mistakes.  Had I not made them I might have lived a safer life…but a much less rich one.