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As we prepared for Men’s Campout, I was excited to use my camping gear. Our vacation most years growing up took the form of a weeklong camping trip in Sierra National Park in California. I was excited to pitch the tent, roll out the sleeping bag, and enjoy all the quintessential camp experiences. As I prepared, Bro. Tyler mentioned that one thing he didn’t like about tent camping was the condensation on the inside of the tent which, because of my upbringing in a desert climate, was unfamiliar to me. I assumed that this was because of the wrong type of tent. I realized the validity of that statement when water dripped onto my face inside the tent. My assumption had been wrong.

In our lives, we can often allow our assumptions to guide us, rather than the reality of Biblical truth. How can assumptions harm us spiritually?

When we assume we know what’s best, we often stray from clear Biblical truth.

God has given us clear truth in His Word to help us understand how we ought to live within His eternal paradigm. However, our flesh is often convinced that we have a better way of doing things. “I know Scripture calls me to handle this situation this way, but if only you have experienced what I am experiencing right now.” Arrogant living often leads to behavior controlled by emotions and expectations rather than Biblical truth. When we assume to know better than God, we are battling to replace Him as the authority of our lives.

When we assume we are right, we often dismiss the wise counsel of those around us.

Damp Derek learned this the hard way last night. Instead of hearing wise counsel, making sure that it aligns with Scripture, and then applying it to our lives, many of us are quick to dismiss it, assuming we have it right. What a foolish way to live. Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” One of the great blessings of the church is the fact that we have a body of fellow believers to help us discern wise choices. We have pastors who care for us and who want to help us navigate life with clear Biblical teaching. Not every choice will have a chapter and verse, or require counsel. Please don’t call about what color shirt you should wear tomorrow to church. However, we should always be quick to seek counsel on big decisions, allowing Biblically-minded people to invest in us with Biblical truth. If we don’t, we can needlessly find ourselves in problematic situations that were easily avoided.

When we assume we can never recover, we miss out on the forgiveness and grace that Christ extends.

We mess up. All of us have. All of us will continue to do so. It is part of living in a sin-cursed world and a sin-cursed body. Yet, that does not mean that we do not have hope to make better choices and decisions tomorrow. We may have allowed our arrogance to really make a mess of a situation, or lead us into a stronghold of sin. God’s grace and mercy stand ready to help you. You may have made some decisions you regret not having received counsel for, or maybe counsel you ignored. God’s grace and mercy stand ready to help you. We receive forgiveness from God when we come to Him in repentance and humility, and we receive help to find victory in that area. It may not change the situation you are currently in or remove the consequences of sinful choices, but it does allow you to say, by God’s grace, I will pursue Biblical truth and righteous living moving forward, as best as I can in this imperfect body.

You don’t have to wake up wet in a tent to learn the lesson. We don’t have to allow our prideful assumptions to derail the spiritual life God desires for us.

Pastor Derek