Reflections by Jeremy Alger

I did a little research this morning. I was going to write that we are in the information age. I don’t know where that idea came from, or if it had a specific distinction or definition, so I asked google. While there is no official stance, the idea of an information age started as the computer was being invented, it continued through the invention of the internet and into today. Google tells me that we are concluding the information age and entering into the experience age where all data is mobile and we now can experience almost whatever we want.
What I actually want to write to you about today is our propensity to allow the simple words “I don’t know” to stop us from starting something new or even continuing something that we are already doing. If you aren’t doing anything in your life that you don’t already know how to do, what is the point of doing it?
I think because of the information age there are masters at almost everything. Somehow through this time we have come to expect someone to know it all, and we have also grown accustomed to relying on experts to get things done for us when we are not in the know.
The problems and issues that we face as a society do not have universally known solutions. Problems need new answers, which means that someone is going to have to do something that they don’t know or we will never get past what is hindering us now.
And it isn’t just to solve global crises that we need to take a leap of faith or take a risk. You might be thinking about/wanting to open a new business. Maybe you are an expert on what you want to do with that business but you have been held back because you don’t know how to actually start a business. It could be something even closer to your daily life, like maybe you want you and your family to eat healthier, but you don’t know how to make healthy food taste good.
“I don’t know” cannot be an acceptable excuse to not try. The information age means that we are able to get the info that we need. If you are truly going to do something groundbreaking, if there is truly no information to just learn from others then there is at least information available in the field of your interest. Finding that information could also help you find the people that might be interested in helping you be the groundbreaker who advances us into uncharted territory!
I often find myself encouraging young people to read more. There is no limit to the amount of literature and information available on every possible interest someone might have. We have the ability to become experts at whatever we want.
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:16 that knowledge and understanding is better than silver and gold. If you were to ask the very richest people in the world they would almost certainly agree. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are two of the richest people in the world and they are also two of the most well-read. They would each tell you that those two things are absolutely connected.
Don’t let “I don’t know” get in the way of what your future could hold!
Jeremy Alger is the pastor of the New Cumberland Church of the Nazarene. For more information please visit www.newcumberlandnazarene.com