Proverbs 1:7b
"Fools despise wisdom and instruction"
I've been a Christian since I was 7 years old. I was brought up in a bible believing church, attended Sunday school, youth meetings, prayer meetings, weekend socials, church camp, and even taught Sunday school to pre-schoolers.
You'd think I'd have a great grasp of the Word of God, wouldn't you? Well, I certainly thought so. I did well in the Quizzes, the Sunday School exams, I read "the manual" of my church as a teenager, I kept a diary of my daily devotions and prayer times, I highlighted passages in my bible, stuffed it full of "holy" bookmarks and was thrilled when it started to fall apart because that meant it had seen a great deal of use and I must be a pretty good Christian as a result.
I coasted along nicely until I met someone who started to say things that challenged my core beliefs. The things that the bible definitely told me. I read it. It was in there. I don't know where, but it was in there. How dare they say such things when I knew better. How dare they be so sure THEY were right when it was obvious I was right and they were wrong? And anyway, they'd only been saved 5 minutes.
"Did you know it wasn't actually an apple in the garden of Eden that Eve took? The bible doesn't say it was an apple".
"Do you know the sinner's prayer is not biblical at all? You won't find anyone mentioning it in the bible".
"Do you know that repentance means to "change your mind"?
What? Of course it was an apple! It's right there in Genesis! We were taught all about the forbidden fruit and it was an apple! And what do you mean the sinner's prayer isn't in the bible? How else are we supposed to ask Jesus into our heart? What do you mean that's another phrase that's man made? And I'm good with words. I KNOW Repentance means to say you're sorry. So there. Go back and rethink your position.
Such simple things I'd picked up and believed without questioning; things I'd taken for granted for most of my adult life. What an eye opener to actually realise I had been wrong all this time. Pass me a shovel for this humble pie I have to eat.
No one likes to be proved wrong, especially in an area they see themselves as an expert. And especially NOT by someone who is a newbie to the whole Christianity thing and has barely started his walk with God.
It sparked more of a hunger for the Word of God. The true, unadulterated, actual, unambiguous Word, to understand more. Where else had I been wrong? I needed to put it right and not carry on down the path of blind assumption.
God has been gracious in opening my eyes to things I hadn't noticed before. Small things perhaps, but things that are exciting to learn about. Bigger things too. Things that matter.
So after I got over being humiliated by that man, and having to rethink some pretty basic things, I did the only thing I could do. I married him!
Sometimes we are quick to shut someone down because of our own arrogance and pride. Especially if that person has a colourful past. Maybe we look at their lives and see the sin they have been delivered from, and lord it over them. Maybe we don't want to take advice from someone like that. We operate on a "what do they know?" mentality.
What right do we have? Can't God use broken and dirty vessels once he's taken them, fixed them, and given them a purpose? Of course He can. He makes all things beautiful in His time. Some of us take longer than others. I'm just grateful for a Godly husband to make this journey with me. We may be imperfect but we are His and He's at work in us.
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