IDK!

I'm not sure but I believe that the hardest words for most Americans to say are, "I don't know."  I'm not exactly sure why.  I think it has to do with the idea that knowledge is power, therefore an admission of a lack of knowledge must mean a lack of power.  But sometimes, we just don't know! 


My favorite commercial on TV recently was for a cell phone company.  It had an elderly lady really getting into the whole text messaging craze.  She was using all of the abbreviations for her words and really having fun with it.  Near the end of the commercial she says - IDK my BFF Jill.  (which for you non-text messaging individuals means "I don't know, my best friend forever - Jill."  Well the part about this commercial that's important for us today is the IDK part. 

There is certain knowledge that we believe we have to know or else we'll be looked down up.  So when someone asks us a question we'll strive to come up with an answer, any answer, even if it's the wrong answer!  We don't want to look like we don't have a clue, do we! 

In the Bible there's a book, Hebrews, and the author of that book reminds us that, "there is a place where someone has said..."  The admission that someone has said this is pretty cool.  The majority of scholars attribute this book to the Apostle Paul - who I might add was a pretty knowledgeable man!  If anyone would know where someone said this, it should be Paul!  But here he says that someone said it somewhere, which is his way of saying - IDK or I don't know! 

I believe that these three words could save the church, and the church's reputation in the world.  You see there's an impression in the world today that the church is full of self-proclaimed know-it-alls.  We give this impression by "always having an answer" for someone else's problems.  The really negative part here is that we have answers for problems: (a) when no one asks for our opinion; and (b) even when we don't really know the answer!

Perhaps we can learn a bit from the author of the letter to the Hebrews and say those three simple words, "I don't know."  It's not up to us to have all the answer and know all the material, Jesus is the perfect one.  He's the one who cleans up our messes in life.  He's the one who's got it all together.  If we had it all together we wouldn't need him!  So today, live the challenge of saying, "I don't know."  Be willing to lower yourself to the point of not knowing all the answers. 

Lord - today I need the strength to not know.  I need your wisdom to fill me with what I should know.  Live in me and I may live through you!  In Jesus' name - AMEN.