I was telling them about the result of my investigation of a prayer technique for when you are feeling bad. I had misgivings. This touched a nerve in a couple of them: their response was effectively ‘It worked for me, so I won’t hear anything against it.’
This logic didn’t seem right. And it didn’t feel right by the Bible.
A bit of research (Galatians 6:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21) confirmed both things.
Judging a process based on the result is faulty thinking. It’s called ‘outcome bias’. A good result this time doesn’t automatically mean a good result the next time.
What about the Bible?
First up, the result may have been God. Even if the method was wrong. God’s mercy at work (for instance, Eldad and Medad in Numbers 11:24-30), and perhaps the desperate woman in Mark 5:25-34).
But maybe it wasn’t God. It could have been Satan (for instance Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:9). Or it may have just been the power of suggestion. Either way we’ve not become more like Christ.
Second, the only way to guarantee a God-honouring result is to play by His rules.
Let’s get…Back to The Gospel.