I found this piece and it really caught my attention because it is something I have been thinking about for a while. How often do we say, I was wrong or I am sorry or I shouldn’t have said that?

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PASTOR NIYI ADEBAYO WROTE THIS,

“I WAS WRONG!
In 1994, I preached from the Book of Ruth Chapter 1. Recall Naomi and her husband, Elimelech together with their two sons left Bethlehem for Moab when Bethlehem was hit by famine. Yes, they got food and temporal comfort in Moab such that their two sons got married. However, Naomi lost her husband and her only two sons mysteriously in Moab. Painful!

My Error: In that message, which I still repeated somewhere in 2006, I posited very strongly that Naomi came under such heavy disaster because she and her family didn’t pray well before relocating. Again, I insisted they should not have left the Lord’s country to an accursed city of Moab! Hmmmmmmm!

A couple of years later, I realized that the fact that a person falls victim of some losses and bitter challenges doesn’t mean he didn’t pray about it. Jesus authored the voyage in Mark 4:35ff, yet storm arose in the middle of the river.

That a couple hasn’t gotten children in their marriage or that a business or ministry is facing serial critical challenges doesn’t mean those involved didn’t seek the face of God ab initio. The way of the Red Sea wasn’t the only way to Canaan from Egypt; God chose to lead them through that axis for reasons He alone knew. Joseph’s brothers possibly didn’t cross the Red Sea when they went to Egypt to get food…

Are there thorns on your path and you feel life is unfair to you? You prayed, heard God before getting into that marriage, business or ministry but you are battling with painful stuffs there now. Hold fast to Christ. He will come through for you sooner than later. Whatever and whoever Naomi and Ruth felt they had lost cannot be compared to the fact that Jesus’ lineage is traceable to that genealogy now.

Whenever God seems to be slow, He’s coming up bigger. Even, when He’s 4 days late, He’s still on time! True patience means waiting without worrying!

No Pastor is all-knowing. No prophet sees it all. Many times God keeps us in the dark in order to prove to us that HE IS THE LIGHT! It will end in PRAISE!”

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This resonated because over the last many months I have had several conversations about dealing with challenging situations, people saying things and not being able to admit that they said something out of turn or even apologise. If you ask the younger generation, many say that even if your parent is blatantly wrong and they know it, they won’t ever say they are wrong or sorry. So why do we insist the younger ones should learn to apologise when we are not interested or able to do so? Shouldn’t life be do as i do rather than do as I say?

So I looked back to my youth and found that we were raised to believe that our parents were always right and that we should never counter them no matter what. It appeared that they knew everything and would never make a mistake. In turn, we assumed that when we grew up we would know everything and we would be decision makers who won’t be questioned. Oh how I looked forward to being an adult so that my words would be law and not countered. What a let down when I finally ‘grew up’ and realised just how little I actually know and how many times I would have to say as much.

The truth is…no one knows it all no matter what!!!

Our perspectives are influenced by our upbringing and exposure and if we do not question the paradigms we were raised in, life will surprise us when we don’t get what we were looking for. There is nothing wrong with not knowing. There is nothing wrong with being uncertain. There is no way you will be the most knowledgable person in the room all the time. It is indeed possible that you could make a mistake and need to apologise and no one, no matter their age, is too old to say sorry, please or thank you. Be careful that old paradigms do not rob you of a rich and full life today.

The world is changing every day at a rate that is faster than anything our parents dealt with. The simple reality is that there are things like the level of information access and speed of change today, is light years faster than in the past. It is a fools idea, to assume that we would know it and and therefore be unquestioned. I have found that asking questions and listening are the most critical tools of the day and we can find peace and grace in life.

I posit that we must live simple, never think too highly of ourselves and be quick to apologise, repent and share the love of God in real deep ways. Life is simpler when we know our limits and live consciously.

Shalom.