Do you face the problem of using the phrase “I don’t know” too frequently? Is it just used to brush something off or do you really not know? Guilty of saying it too frequently, I have been told many times not to use it but never really understood why. Finally, I came to the conclusion that the issue was not because I did not know something but instead I have been using it to run away from problems. Admittedly, this phrase is very tempting to use, but using it with the wrong intentions is dangerous as it can result in us becoming too reliant on using it as the easy way out. This is something that Christians have to be very careful with and the following are a few important areas in which we can be more mindful of saying ‘I don’t know’:
1. “Idk” the word of God
We are commanded to study God’s word, and it links to other important aspects of being a Christian as it is impossible to be a faithful Christian without knowing His word. From Mark 16:15, God told us to preach the gospel to others. If we do not know the gospel, how are we going to teach others, defend the word of God, know what is right or wrong, etc? If someone asks me something about Christianity, I cannot possibly just say “Idk”. Be ready always to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15). Furthermore, it is dangerous not to know the word of God, as we are constantly facing temptations, whether or not we are aware of it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 is often used as an encouragement to help us overcome temptations. However, to overcome temptation, we must first know that we are being tempted. For a Christian to “don't know what they don't know” makes us more susceptible to temptations, and thus highlights the importance of knowing the gospel.
2. “Idk” how to serve God
As seen in 1 Peter 4:10-11, Christians are given talents and we should be faithful stewards of our God-given gifts, using them to serve God. However, as we may not have discovered our gifts, especially in the case of young Christians, we may not know how or where to best serve God and thus have the tendency of saying “Idk” and not doing anything. Personally, I find that fear is one of the strongest factors that causes me to say “Idk”. This is especially when fear is precisely what I need to overcome to serve God. However, there has to be a point where I have to face it. As a Christian, I know I cannot continue in a state where I keep thinking “Idk how to serve God because I am scared so I do not have to serve”. And this goes for every Christian. We do not need to be very good or talented in that area we serve in, because we can learn from others and build up experience. Instead, we can have a mindset that what we are doing is for God and not ourselves, and what God wants from us is a willing and genuine heart to learn and serve and not one that just says “Idk”.
So how can we prevent ourselves from falling into this trap of relying on the phrase “Idk”? Some suggestions are to have fear and courage.
1. Fear
As we do not want to displease God, we fear Him and keep His commandments (Eccl 12:13-14). Fear is the beginning of knowledge, so when we fear him, we study His words and hence equip ourselves, so we would not even need to use “Idk”. Some may argue that it is impossible to know everything. Yes it is true, and in instances where we do not know, we should use “Idk“ in humility, but we should not just remain as we are. We need to continue to study and find out what we do not know.
2. Courage
Initially, when approached to write this article, guess what popped into my mind immediately? That's right. “I don’t know how to…” followed by all the doubts and worries. However, there is always a starting point for everything, and it takes courage and a willingness to learn, to step out of your comfort zone to face your “Idks”. As the hymn goes, “There is much to do, there’s work on every hand”- there are constantly many things for us to learn and challenges to face but with courage and God, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13).
God is not expecting us to know everything. It is impossible to and there is also nothing wrong with using this phrase in real instances where we don’t have the answer. We just need to be very careful of how we use it and the intention behind it. For a start, we can strive to let our “Idks” be followed by a “but” - “I don’t know but I will find out…”, “I don’t know but I will try…” and this will help us to prevent ourselves from using the phrase the wrong way.