We Really Don’t Know
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
I remember the time when I wanted to drive all over the United States. Nothing was more exciting than going with my mom or dad on a road trip somewhere new. I would even try to memorize the signs to guess which exits lead to a various cities and areas. As I grew older, my focus grew more on getting to the various destinations where family or vacations were. The focus was less on the many exits I would pass. Nonetheless, a piece of me learned to appreciate the surroundings and the journey of getting there. It was still the same experience of going from one place to another, but the view had changed from just simple exits on the road to the surroundings, the beauty, and the journey itself. That is what growth is like. We think we know one thing, but we really don’t know until we experience more to give it context.
Struggles in understanding God’s plan is often a sign of significant spiritual growth. In our journey of faith, things may become more complicated and difficult to understand, which fits with today’s verses. Yet, it is more rewarding once we have taken the time to build that understanding of what God’s intent is. Last week, I heard multiple things about God that I knew but expanded my knowledge of His will. One was about how we are to be humble as Jesus as seen through the eyes of Paul:
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form. (Philippians 2:7)
Then, how Paul’s life had been the greatest force for spreading God’s word, and his letters to Timothy were words we can revere as his last words and instructions to our living a life for Christ.
So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 8-9)
Finally, through Acts, I read about how radical the apostles were in celebrating their suffering:
The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:40-42)
It felt like I was overwhelmed with lessons I learned before but gained a deeper understanding of them. Sometimes, God will give us the same information, but because we have grown much more in our understanding, it looks different. For example, I knew to be humble, but I never looked as Jesus coming to us as human as an act of humility. And my understanding of Paul’s letter to Timothy gave me a fresh perspective on my being a better disciple. We should never view our greater understanding of God’s word as failure. It is more God’s timing for His revealing of Himself to us.
God’s timing is always good for our spiritual growth. A pastor used a pizza analogy that said God puts you in a place like Little Caesars Pizza where you may be hot, but you’re not ready. However, when He does reveal truth, it is because we are ready not only for the knowledge and wisdom given through His word but also to build on what He is teaching for future growth. So, let us be receptive to God’s words and teachings for the future building of our likeness to Christ. Where do you feel the meaning of God’s word has changed or become more expansive? What steps can you take if your understanding of God has become stagnant? Is it reassuring or a time to reflect? My prayer is that we can embrace the idea that we think we know but we really don’t know. Amen.