The Dangers of Experience

If an email has the word "Mr" in the "from" box, I always assume it is related to the "Nigerian" spam-scam. The same is true if the opening line is "Dear Beloved in Christ."

Why?

Experience.

Experience can be a great sorting tool. It can be a great wisdom enhancer. It can also be a deadly "limiter."

We have to strike a balance between trusting the lessons learned from experience and being blinded by them.

What if someone really does use the term "Mr" for reasons of their own? What if a person really does consider me to be "beloved in Christ" and chooses to address me that way with sincerity and grace?

90% of the time, my hunches are correct ... but I must be cautious not to miss something importance in the quest for efficiency an safety.

Wisdom is one of the great biblical values, but it is also one of the first great temptations. As I sometimes feel smug about those few areas where I feel wise, I am reminded of our common experience with Miss Eve:

 "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." - Genesis 3:6

It was just a little voice I heard in the back of my head as I was "sorting" and deleting my email one morning.

"Not so smug, Tom. Your experience does not encompass the entire universe of possibilities!"