Our culture often tells us:

“Question authority.”

There is certainly a place for asking thoughtful questions. As Christians, we should never embrace something simply because someone said it. We should be like the Bereans, who carefully examined the Scriptures to determine whether what they were hearing was true.

But I wonder if the greater question is this:

“Am I willing to question my own assumptions until they are brought under the authority of God’s Word?”

That is much harder.

It is easy to question someone else.

It is much more difficult to ask:

• Have I misunderstood this passage?
• Am I allowing my experiences to shape my theology?
• Is this truly what Scripture teaches, or is it simply what I have always believed?
• Am I holding a biblical conviction, or merely a personal preference?

The Christian life is not about questioning God’s authority. It is about allowing God’s authority to question us.

When God’s Word exposes something in my thinking, I have a choice. I can defend my assumptions, or I can allow Him to renew my mind.

As I’ve reflected on this recently, I’ve realized that one of the healthiest prayers I can pray is:

“Lord, help me not to resist when You show me that I need to change.”

That isn’t a prayer of uncertainty. It is a prayer of humility.

May we be people who stand firmly on biblical truth while remaining humble enough to continually examine our beliefs in light of God’s Word.

“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” — John 17:17 (LSB)

The goal of the Christian life is not to become better at defending our assumptions. It is to become more willing to surrender them whenever God’s Word reveals that they are wrong.