I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know

Perspective is a very powerful thing. How we see something often determines how we respond to it. But what if our perspective isn’t as clear as we think it is?

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” - Matthew 6:22-23 NLT

Reflection

Jesus says something here that should cause all of us to pause. What if the light we think we have is actually darkness? In other words, what if we are convinced we’re seeing something clearly when we really aren’t?

Have you ever noticed how quickly we can become certain about a situation? We hear a story. We witness a conversation. We connect a few dots. Before long we’ve decided we know exactly what happened and why someone acted the way they did.

Maybe we’re right. Maybe we’re not. The truth is, we usually don’t know nearly as much as we think we do.

Years ago, I adopted a simple mindset that has served me well both professionally and personally. I don’t know what I don’t know. That isn’t a statement of weakness. It’s a reminder to stay humble.

There may be facts I haven’t heard or circumstances I can’t see. Pain, fear, or past experiences may be shaping someone’s actions in ways I know nothing about. There may even be things in my own heart influencing how I’m interpreting what I’m seeing.

That last one is probably the hardest to admit.

We don’t simply see with our eyes. We see through the lenses we’ve collected over a lifetime. Past hurts. Successes. Failures. Politics. Relationships. Culture. Fear. Pride. Bitterness. Compassion. They all have the potential to color what we think we’re looking at.

I can’t help but think Jesus is talking about more than eyesight. He’s talking about spiritual vision. If my heart isn’t healthy, my vision won’t be either.

I’ve also noticed that whatever fills our minds eventually shapes how we interpret the world around us. Someone living with chronic pain naturally thinks about pain. Someone carrying unresolved hurt often sees life through that hurt. If we continually feed ourselves anger, fear, or negativity, it shouldn’t surprise us when those things begin influencing how we see other people.

That doesn’t mean our observations are always wrong. It simply means they may not be complete.

So what do we do? For me, I bring it to God.

I ask Him to help me see beyond my assumptions. I ask Him to expose any pride, bias, or fear that may be clouding my judgment. Sometimes He reminds me to wait before reaching a conclusion. Sometimes He uses wise counsel from someone I trust. Sometimes He simply gives me peace to let something go because it isn’t mine to figure out.

The older I get, the less interested I am in being right and the more interested I am in seeing clearly. Maybe that’s what Jesus was inviting us into all along.

Not certainty. Clarity.

Because the most dangerous darkness isn’t the darkness we recognize. It’s the darkness we mistake for light.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, give me healthy eyes and a humble heart. Help me recognize that I don’t know everything and protect me from becoming too certain about things I cannot fully see. Show me where my own experiences, fears, or assumptions may be clouding my vision. Fill my mind with what is true, good, and pleasing to You so I can see others with greater wisdom, grace, and compassion. When I don’t know what I don’t know, remind me that You do. Guide my steps in Your light. I pray this in the name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord. Amen.