I don’t like to not know. I don’t like to not have an answer or an opinion. Not knowing or not being able to reply makes me feel tense. And dare I say it? I feel stupid.

What’s even sillier is that I will give an opinion even though I’m not sure I’m right—so that I can avoid saying, “I don’t know.” That’s pretty bad. Oh, my.

So it was with interest I studied Zechariah 4:5. The prophet Zechariah had been shown a vision of a lamp stand and several other things. He asked what the items meant. “So the angel who was speaking with me [Zechariah] answered and said to me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.'”

If I had been Zechariah, I wouldn’t have asked what the things are because that would have shown my—there’s that word again—stupidity. And then when the angel asked, “Do you not know what these are?” I would have bluffed my way into some sort of answer (said as if I’m Rocky Balboa). “Well, sure, I know what it is. Whatcha think, I’m stupid or somepin’?”

So I’m admiring Zechariah. He had the humility to admit he didn’t know and he was willing to be instructed. I need to remember him as my inspiration for admitting when I don’t know.

It’s okay even if I appear to be stupid because it doesn’t matter what other people think of me. What matters is God’s view of me, and He already knows when I don’t know. He would much rather I admit my lack of knowledge and ask to be informed. Because He’s eager to teach and guide me. What a patient God.

At the Heart of Friendship by Kathy Collard Miller

Kathy Collard Miller is growing in being able to say, “I don’t know.” Even though she doesn’t know a lot, God has graciously empowered her to write over fifty books, including her latest, At the Heart of Friendship: Daughters of the King Bible Study Series. It’s a ten-lesson women’s study for groups or individuals. Kathy has also spoken in over thirty states in the U.S. and eight foreign countries. Visit her: www.KathyCollardMiller.com. Twitter: @KathyCMiller FB: www.facebook.com/KathyCollardMillerAuthor.