It's Ok To Be Wrong

One of the reasons we may not engage others with the Gospel or biblical wisdom is a fear of being wrong about some detail. That fear of being embarrassed or humiliated in front of a group can completely shut a Christian down from sharing their faith. There is however, an antidote to this fear.

What is the truth here?

Wrap your mind around this idea... "It's ok to be wrong!"

As we go about our day, as Christians we should be ready to tell others what the Lord has done for us.  There is nothing to fear, especially if you prepare yourself. If you're not ready, you can be!

Focus on Coming to the Truth

If we get wrapped up in a philosophical question and we realize that we have wandered off on some tangent that is more, "uniformed opinion," than truth, do this... acknowledge it! Now, that's not hard is it?

Step one is to acknowledge to ourselves that we are wrong.

Step two, we want to have a mindset of always seeking the truth. If we know our goal and are committed to that goal of getting the truth, we are in a humble state. That's a great place to be. It's a peaceful place to be!

Don't worry anymore about winning arguments or debates. Let seeking the truth be so important that you don't need to "be right" to win. We win when we win people, not arguments.

Step three, skillfully move the other person to think.

In most encounters we are dealing with someone who does not know how to process information. We can help their thinking process by developing the skills taught on our ITCZ 101 page, In The Field, section. These techniques are very effective and designed to win people, not necessarily a debate. Although, they can do that too. :-)


Humility Mindset


  • Jesus is the truth.
  • Know your Gospel Elevator Pitch.
  • Coming to the truth is all that is important.
  • How can I help others come to the truth, in this conversation?
  • Ask questions to clarify.
    1. "What is the truth here?"
    2. "What else can I learn in this conversation?"
  • It's ok to be wrong. :-)

Pride Mindset


  • A desire to "be right" in a debate. 
    • Forget about being right. Focus on getting to the truth.
  • I must win this argument. 
    • You win when the other person is moved to think and you deliver the Good News.
  • I hope this guy doesn't embarrass me! 
    • He won't if you know your objective... curious about the truth.
  • Am I wrong? Oof... I think I'll just shut up from now on. 


How to Recover

So, what if you find yourself in conversation where you're wrong about a detail? Easy! Simply acknowledge it but then remember that you are a truth seeker. Start asking questions to clarify.
  • "Good point! Can you say more about that?"
  • "What else should I know about that?"
  • "How can I learn more about that?"

When our goal is the truth we have nothing to fear in any interaction.

~~~~~~~

Take Action!

What can I do to be ready for when I'm wrong about something? 
Get curious! The scriptures tell us in many ways to come to the Lord. Ask, seek, knock, search... these are all part of a mindset that is curious. 
Start here to put a turbo on your curiosity: Curiosity... How Can You Get It Back?

Please, add your thoughts in the comment section.

~~~~~~~

 Concept: It's OK to be wrong.

In The Cool Zone concept. Think like Jesus thinks.

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