:: I DON’T KNOW ::
It strikes me how much we say things like:
‘I don’t know what…’
‘I don’t know how…’
‘I don’t know when…’
What I find ironic is that we tend to say this most when we actually DO know what, how, when – but are most reluctant to actually do such things.
Over the last 11 years of full-time ministry, what I’ve seen most is that we say things like “I just don’t know what to do about it”, when actually, we just don’t want to do something about it.
It’s not actually a matter of us not ‘knowing’, but rather not ‘wanting’. Not wanting to be free. Not wanting to forgive. Not wanting to change. Not wanting to do the hard thing.
Have you ever been in this position before? Maybe you’re facing something like this now…
I would love to hear from some of you out there, and your thoughts on why it’s so hard to do the tough thing.
JJ
Hi Jeff,
it happens to me often, and what makes me really mad is the fact that I always seem to be the one who is going to adapt to the chance, it’s me who’s going to forgive and do what the other side is not willing to do. If we’re open and kind most of the time, don’t you feel there’s always someone out there ready to use it against you? I guess that’s why we use I DON’T KNOW sometimes.
Lots of love! Take care!
An intelligent answer – no BS – which makes a pleasnat change
Pj,
This is so perfect! I think that you have often been the person that I said some of those statements to. It’s a funny thing to think about. Maybe we believe that if we express a high enough level of ineptitude that someone will step in and save us from our quandry. I have discovered with myself that it was always insecurity leading me to say “I don’t know…!” Even though I knew exactly what I needed to do, as well as how I should do it I still felt like I would somehow fail. Ignorance is always a good cover…
Also, saying “i don’t know” allows us to bury our head in the sand and completly ignore that there is something that needs to be dealt with. So it not only gives us an excuse not to address something, it gives us the illusion that there is nothing there to begin with.
Last year, Katie wouldn’t let me say “I don’t know.” Flat out wouldln’t let me. It made me face a lot of things that I probably wouldnt have otherwise, and made me actually take action. Or if I really didn’t know the answer, or i didn’t think I did, it made me think until i figured it out. I’m not sure if you’re in the habit of saying I don’t know, pj, but I suggest you try it. It’s crazy what you really DO know.