We take for granted much of what we do. Perhaps we made a conscious decision at some point, but now we operate from our default settings in much of life. While this frees us from always reinventing the wheel, there’s wisdom in occasionally stepping back to question our defaults once again.
For instance, the way we show up at work, in our relationships, or faith might have remained unchanged for years. And for the most part this has worked with no clear reason to change. But then we’re faced with a situation in which we’re asked to give a reason for why we do what we do, and we’re unable to answer.
It’s not that we’re doing anything wrong per se, but our practice has become a blind habit and potentially faithless. And the questioning shakes our very foundation. We start to doubt ourselves and are more prone to adopt whatever new approach is offered to us. Maybe work has become our life, monogamy is outdated, and all religions are essentially the same.
Questioning our defaults is not to turn our backs on what we believe, but to revisit our basic assumptions. Like the professional athlete or musician who regularly reviews his fundamentals, we should review the first principles throughout our life and relationships as well. This allows our foundation to remain strong and vital – giving us confidence in what we do, while also reminding us to stay humble and not let pride or arrogance blind us to needed changes.
In this way, to question is also an act of faith. We’re willing to suspend our assumptions, as we trust God to show us his truth and goodness time and again. Of course, we don’t have to wait on perfect understanding, and we’re willing to step out even on a mustard seed of faith. But we’re not afraid to wrestle through what we’ve previously taken for granted.
In the end, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. But occasionally it’s good to revisit the basic principles that guide your life – questioning your defaults to truly live by faith.
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