Need to Know

Have you ever watched one of those movies with all the top secret government agents, doing top secret--better that the public sector doesn't know--kind of stuff?

Inevitably, one of the agents is furious when he finds out that he was left out of the information loop about some aspect of the operation.

When he indignantly asks the question,

"Why wasn't I informed about this?"

he is simply told,

"That information is shared on a need-to-know basis only."

From the uninformed agent's viewpoint, he probably figures he should know everything about what is going on in order to better do his job.

But from the perspective of those in charge, he only really needs to know that portion that applies to his part, and he needs to trust the masterminds of the operation to be able to bring it all together nicely (before the movie ends, of course--unless they are setting things up for a sequel!)

I think that it is human nature to want to know things that in reality we would probably be better off not knowing. It's that curiosity thing that most of us have.

The National Enquirer tabloid used to use a slogan that went something like, "Enquiring minds want to know!"

But does being slammed on every side with accounts of the misdeeds of celebrities really help us in life and the challenges we face? Or does it have a numbing effect on our sensibilities?

Is that the kind of information that, at the very least, does not benefit us and, at the very worst, subtly draws us into paths of self-destruction?

And isn't that true of much of the information that we might seek to know?

That also might be something to think about the next time that you are pleading with God to show you things concerning your future. Would you maybe be better off not knowing those things just yet?

Anyway, I think that God often operates like the "government masterminds" of my fictitious movie. I think that He only lets us know what we need to know, and wants us to trust Him to take charge of the overall picture of our lives.

I have no doubt that many a Christian who has accomplished great things for the Kingdom of Heaven would not have done so had they known, from the beginning, everything that they would face along the way.

And just one more thought: Unlike a government mastermind, isn't it nice to be able to actually trust the Mastermind of our destiny to be working at all times for our good.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
- II Corinthians 5:7 (NKJ)