I was reading something the other day about “confirmation bias.” Maybe you’ve heard of it. Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon that explains why people tend to seek out information that confirms their existing opinions and overlook or ignore information that refutes their beliefs.
Unfortunately, almost everyone does it. For instance, we tend to “tune in” to news that confirms things we already believe and we tend to “tune out” everything that contradicts it. The big media companies count on this.
The problem with confirmation bias is that it’s not just a psychological phenomenon, but a spiritual sickness. If we never allow ourselves to encounter ideas that challenge us, there’s a good chance we’ll never grow.
One of the reasons I love the Bible is that it confronts our confirmation bias every time we open its pages. When we put ourselves before others, it calls us out. When we are stuck in legalism and rules, it teaches us about grace and freedom. When we are tempted to distrust or even hate “the other,” it calls us to love.
Join us in worship this weekend as we confirm, once again, that we need God in our lives and that there’s always room for improvement!