Am I Ever Wrong?

He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. John 3:31

In medicine, I’ve been slow to learn, but I am learning not to be too overconfident. Many times, a worried mom has asked me to test for an illness I just knew that her child didn’t have. This isn’t strep throat. We don’t need to test for that. Then, upon finding the test to be positive, I’ve had to eat my words. So, over time, I’ve learned to hold my tongue . . . at least until the test comes back.

I’m the physician, so I’m supposed to have confidence in my skills and knowledge. No one wants a doctor who isn’t convinced that he (or she) knows what he doing, right? I must balance this confidence with the humble acceptance that I don’t know everything and that I’m not always right. This is a difficult task, in which my pride gets involved. Frankly, my ego doesn’t like to admit that I can be wrong.

It’s similar with writing this blog. I’ve got the life experience of my own addiction and I know what God has done for me. I’ve got a conviction about what I’m writing because I’m basing my own life on what God’s word says.

In today’s passage though, John the Baptist provided a perspective that should humble anyone who teaches God’s word. In the narrative, John said that Jesus had all authority because he was from heaven. John, speaking of himself, said that all human teachers are earthly, speaking in an earthly way. As humans, we’re fallible. We make mistakes. Sometimes, we get it wrong.

I’m human. I make mistakes. I once thought it was a good idea to use opiates. I then became addicted, making horrible choices in my addiction. In recovery now, I do believe that God wants me to help others suffering in their addiction. To help others – just like with being a physician – I must have some confidence that I’m following the right path. Just like with being a physician though, I must remain humble enough to accept that I’m not always right.

Any confidence we have in our faith, must not be in ourselves. It must be in God alone. We’re on the right path because we’re following him. When someone disagrees with us, is our pride offended? Daily, we must abandon our deadly pride, while boldly doing what we believe to be right in God’s eyes.