I thought I knew something about baseball until I started coaching my son. Now I just feel stupid. What I thought I knew…well, it turns out most of that was wrong. What I thought I could teach…I just feel inept most of the time. I’m not just trying to be hard on myself; I’ve just realized how little I know about it all–the game, parenting, coaching, all of it. Just when I think I’ve got something figured out, I’m hit with a scenario I’ve never experienced before.
What makes you feel stupid, like you don’t know anything about baseball, coaching, playing, parenting?
The truth is that no one knows it all. Those who appear to are probably just faking it. There are moments when we all feel stupid. Baseball has a way of doing that to us. It’s a difficult game with innumerable variables. Just when you think you have it figured out, there’s a curve ball, literally.
Proverbs 30:2-3–“Surely I am more stupid than any man, and I do not have the understanding of a man. Neither have I learned wisdom, nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.”
Ever felt that way? Written by an honest man, these verses are of great comfort to me. I’m not the only one who feels as if I know nothing sometimes. For all he has learned, the writer still knows his knowledge and understanding are woefully limited.
What should we do when we arrive at that point?
Admit it. Jesus said that the first step in following him is admitting our poverty of spirit (Matthew 5:3). Only when we humble ourselves before the Lord can we receive his wisdom, understanding, and direction. How many of us are clueless, know it, but won’t admit it, and therefore are prevented from receiving the Lord’s help?
Get over it. If you and I expect to one day know it all, well, it ain’t gonna happen. I’ve spent a good portion of my life expecting myself to know it all. As a result, I’ve spent that same portion of my life frustrated and not moving forward. We don’t know it all. We will often feel stupid about baseball, coaching, and life. We are limited. It’s part of the human experience.
Address it. No, we won’t ever have complete knowledge and understanding, but that doesn’t mean we can’t seek the One who does. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s wisdom–seek him and his life will be imparted to you. As he lives through the humbled and emptied servant, he increases our understanding and fills our souls. We can try on our own, but will wind up feeling stupid again (and being unwilling to admit it).
Only one has infinite and complete knowledge. Not you. Not me. Let’s seek God’s face today.
Lord Jesus, I admit my inadequate understanding of life, of you. Fill me with your Spirit, your knowledge, your wisdom. Amen.
