Within the Gospels, there are very familiar stories that generally follow the same theme.

For example, one time Jesus went to a man’s house for dinner. Many of those gathered were disliked, thought to be less than, and were certainly considered to be sinners because of prior and current actions.  The most religious people present that night were not happy Jesus would eat with such off track folks, let alone be around them.

On another occasion, some of Jesus’ disciples began to eat.  They did not wash their hands before doing so.  Some nearby religious leaders chastised Jesus for enabling his followers not to follow strict religious rules and guidelines around food consumption.

Story after story after story in the Gospels, we find a pattern.  Jesus does something and the folks that have a problem with Jesus are either religious leaders or just people of faith who claim they strictly live according to biblical laws.  People who had a problem with Jesus thought of themselves as religious, faithful, upstanding, righteous, and on the right side of issues.

Those who challenged Jesus the most and in fact were responsible for killing him were religious people that were too certain and too confident about too many things, especially about biblical law.  Their certainty and overconfidence not only made it impossible for them to understand Jesus, placed them in opposition to the love of God, but prevented them from following Jesus and building God’s kingdom.

From the beginning of the Old Testament through the New, there is a way of living, an approach to all aspects of life, that God calls us to embrace.  And that is humility.

Humility is upheld all over scripture.  For example, Paul writes in his letter to the people in Rome, “Do not be wise in your own sight.”  In the letter of James we find, “Humble yourselves before the Lord.”  In the Book of Jeremiah, “Let the wise man not boast in his wisdom.”  And there are dozens and dozens of other examples.

When we are too certain and too confident about too many things when it comes to our faith, we end up getting in the way of what God is wanting to do and we end up following ourselves instead of Jesus.  I believe we are called to be confident and certain about some things but that much of what occupies our attention, our actions, and our zeal is in fact better left out of the confident and certain realm.

For example, I am confident that Jesus is God in the flesh, that he died on the cross of our sake, was resurrected on that first Easter morning, and that his spirit, the Holy Spirit is living within each of us. I also believe he actively leads, heals, and shapes us as the years go by.

Over the years I have found my relationship with Jesus has deepened the more I yield myself to him and gain comfort in the unknown because I am confident in Jesus and less confident in what I believe about this issue and or that.  I am confident God has it all covered.

In my experience, the more we become confident about more and more and more things, the more we put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God.

The point, if we want to follow Jesus, we are called, I believe, to attitudinal humility not self-righteousness.  Paul warned early Christians about self-righteousness because he knew that the more we make room, more room for people who might be very different than we are, we end up being more faithful than if we do the opposite.

When we are not self-righteous and too certain, we begin to listen far more than we speak. We don’t spew out whatever comes to mind.  We are clear about what is central to our faith, but willing to be open to the periphery.  We avoid getting into litmus testing people about their faith.  We allow God to be God even when it makes us uncomfortable.