234 thoughts on “Friday Challenge: Be Wrong”

    1. NO WAY!!!!! I can’t believe it! It’s my first first!!! Pop open some bubbly! As per Darrell’s post. I thought I might be second. I was wrong. I’m first! πŸ˜€ (Now to put some serious thought into my answer πŸ™‚

  5. I used to think God was angry at me all the time because I had no desire to fulfill all of “his rules.” I was wrong.

  8. I used to think:
    God loved me for what all I did for him in my IFB church… WRONG!

    God loved me for all the Tithes and Faith Promise I paid him… WRONG!

    The Man-o-gawd was God’s anointed vessel and was spiritually superior to all the sheeple in his flock… WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

    God was obligated to love me because I chose to let him into my heart, we-l-l-l wasn’t that special… WRONG!

    worship was the experiential and emotional fix we got at church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, and any time the doors were opened during a Revival, Missions conference or special meeting…. WRONG! DEAD WRONG!

    every preaching service had to have an “Altar Call”… WRONG!

    Hard, toe-stompin’ preachin was good preaching!… WRONG! to infinity and beyond WRONG!

    God help me for the crap I once believed and held up as righteous… πŸ™ πŸ˜₯

    1. Wow. I used to think all this Bee Ess too. Well said. Thank You, Lord, for deliverance!

  9. I used to think that I was a good guy. I was so full of myself, so proud. I built my life upon pleasing people and being good. I knew nothing of grace, worship, or living for Christ.

    I was such a fundy tool, so smug and confident that I was special. It turns out that I wasnt. I was an ass, yet God loved me anyway.

      1. Yes, I see that hand. Anybody else? (Could NOT resist from my own fundy past and the half-hour long altar calls!! πŸ‘Ώ )

  10. I used to think I had God all figured out. I was wrong.

    I used to think pajama jeans were EPIC! I was wrong.

    I used to think I could never completely please God. I was wrong.

  12. I used to think Gods love for me was determined by my performance for him…I was wrong.

    I used to think Christianity was about being a good little moralist…I was wrong.

    I used to think that I could live my life without Christ’s love and grace sustaining me and overwhelming me on a daily basis…I was wrong.

    1. Recovering performance-driven legalist here too! Finally starting to figure out what that amazing grace we sang about is REALLY all about!

  16. I used to think that everyone who left Bible college without finishing was running from God. I was wrong.

    I used to think that if I obeyed godly authority God would bless me even if godly authority was wrong. I was wrong.

  17. I used to think I ws leaving God when I left the church. I was wrong.
    I thought I was risking salvation when I left, I was wrong.

  18. I used to believe IFB churches were the only God honoring churches, and that those “other” churches who played CCM, used MV, had women wearing pants, and no door-to-door soulwinning program were disobedient to Scripture. Boy was I ever wrong!!!
    😳 😳 😳 😳

  19. I used to think that the IFB’s were doing everything right and all other Christian denominations were doing wrong. I was wrong. I used to think that God liked me just a little bit more than He liked them because I was in the right denomination. I was wrong.

  20. I used to think I was better than all those self righteous fundies simply because I apparently wasn’t self righteous myself. I was wrong

  21. I used to believe I was in the only “Biblical” church. I was wrong.

    I used to believe that — if I followed the rules — God owed me a blessing. I was wrong.

    1. I was kind of opposite to Charlie – deep down I felt that I was a terrible Christian and that everything I touched turned brown and smelly. I would never be acceptable. I was wrong. Jesus made me acceptable.

  23. I used to think that to be a successful christian, you had to only read the KJV. I was wrong.

    I used to think I was so lucky to stumble on to the “best church in Australia.” I was wrong.

    I used to think my pastor was a good man. I was wrong.

    I used to think that good parents kept their kids out of school. I was wrong. (Not that I believe all homeschooling is wrong – I just see that different things work better for different people).

    I used to think that drinking alcohol was wrong. I was wrong.

    I used to think that my friends loved me. I was wrong.

    1. Hugs to you on the friends comment. Been there. Done that. Didn’t get the t-shirt, but did get the figurative clothing ripped off of me.

      1. That last one hurt my heart a little! I pray there are new friends soon, the real kind!

    2. Agreed on the “friends” part. I still have a hard time anyone likes me just because they like me. I always am asking myself why this person or that person might be spending time with me. I am so different than I used to be. So much more timid with people and careful with my heart.

      1. Sims and Tiarali, I totally get this. Sometimes I hold people at a distance simply because I can’t imagine they really want friendship.

      2. It’s ironic that having finally left fundamentalism, I’ve learned that I don’t have to separate from other believers but at the same time, I’ve been so wounded by all we’ve been through, that I’m not even sure I WANT to pursue friendships right now – at least not in my church. I feel like staying aloof just because I’ve been so hurt, even though these are different people than the ones who rejected me.

      3. Wow! I think because I never really had very many friends as a kid I am completely opposite. I feel very much for all of you that have been hurt in the past. πŸ˜₯

  24. I used to think that God created the world in 7 “literal” days, and that you had to believe that to be saved. I was so very wrong!

  26. I used to believe that only attendees of Baptist churches were on their way to Heaven. I was wrong.

    I used to think that you could not be a good Christian and listen to Rock music. I was wrong.

    I used to think that my performance for Christ was more important than His performance for me. I was wrong.

    I used to think that while grace saved me, it was my adherence to a list of man-made rules that kept me righteous before God. I was wrong.

    I used to think I had almost everything in Christianity figured out. I was wrong.

  28. Posting without reading others, so I can think up my own.
    I used to think Jack Hyles was a wise counsellor, but I was wrong.
    I used to think the pastor was perforce a managawd, but I was wrong.
    I used to think I understood eschatology, but I was wrong.
    I used to think the IFB way was the right way, but I was wrong.
    I used to think liturgy in a church service was somehow liberal (give that word its IFB meaning, “evil,”) but I was wrong.
    I used to think legalism was godly, but I was wrong.
    I used to think I would never find my friend Sims again, but I was wrong.
    I used to think no one else understood where I have been, but I was, thank You, Lord, so very wrong. πŸ˜€

  29. Well, having read each one, I am so blessed and so full in my heart, and my eyes, too! What deliverance. How glad I am for DD and this web site! Hallelujah! πŸ˜€

  30. I used to think that if I played by “the rules,” God would bless me. I was wrong; turns out, He blesses me because of who He is, not because of anything I do. πŸ™‚

    I used to think that “modesty” was all about one’s outward appearance. I was wrong. Like so many other things, modesty is a heart issue. (One can be immodest while covered from collarbone to metatarsal. Trust me.)

    I used to think Jesus was a short-haired, clean-shaven Fundy w/politically conservative views. I was wrong. I’m pretty sure Jesus was a longish-haired, bearded Jewish guy who taught love & socialism. πŸ˜‰

    1. Because of Who He is!!! Oh, yes!

      It’s so funny that as long I was focused on what I was doing for Him, I didn’t have a true heart of love for Christ, but when I began to realize that it’s HIM not ME, I started to really love Him.

  31. I used to think Jesus wouldn’t love me if I wasn’t good. I was wrong.

    I used to think Jesus would love me and bless me more if I “won” a lot of souls to Him, if I sweated to be out in a “soul winning” tent for 7 days straight during the county fair but I was wrong.

    I used to think Jesus would love me more if I taught a class of little girls when I would’ve preferred older girls but the pastor wanted me to teach the younger ones, and I’d be pleasing the Lord by pleasing the pastor, but I was wrong.

    I used to think the Lord didn’t love me because we were more financially challenged and couldn’t put as much into the offering plate as the well to do people who He loved more, but I was wrong.

    I used to think the Fundy pastor was always right about everything, but was I ever wrong!

    I used to think I was a better Christian than the women who wore pants but I was wrong.

    I used to have a smugly superior attitude to people who didn’t believe as I did, but I was very wrong.

    Good topic Darrell. :mrgreen:

  32. Oh, this one is so easy!

    I used to think that:

    -Democrats were either stupid or evil.
    -Environmentalists wanted to destroy America.
    -Pretty much anyone who disagreed with my church was either stupid and misled, or just plain evil.
    -America was God’s chosen nation.
    -“The world” had nothing good to offer.
    -My heart was a source of nothing good and anything I wanted or hoped was true was suspect.

  33. I used to think the Hortons were the good people they are portrayed to be by their staff, and just had some overzealous employees. I was wrong.

    I used to think poor people only needed someone to preach at them or give them a ride to church. I was wrong.

    1. oo, yes. Poor people only need the gospel, because “the poor you will have with you always,” so why bother with anything else?

  34. This is fun! I also thought that:

    – Drinking/dancing/mixed bathing were evil.
    – There were a whole host of things that weren’t evil, but that you could become a better Christian by avoiding (pants, makeup, certain “on-the-edge” movies and music).
    – Evangelicals were just soft, pseudo-Christians who cared too much about other people liking them.
    – Catholics worshiped Mary and believed they were just working there way to heaven.
    – Anyone who questioned the dogma was rebellious of spirit and just needed to re-align themselves with God’s will.

      1. Yeah, with the exception of one’s spouse, bathing with people is not good but swimming is just fine… πŸ˜›

  36. I used to think “how is it that every other “denomination” has it so very wrong?” Yet, I was the one who had it wrong.

  37. I used to think America was the greatest country in the world. I was wrong. There are many great countries in the world.

    I use to think Israel had the right to do whatever it wanted. I was wrong.

    I used to think β€œwar on drugs” was good. I was wrong. Prohibition does not work. Addiction should be treated as a health issue, not a crime issue.

    I used to think suicide was a sin. Now I realize it is often a tragic byproduct of a mental illness.

    I used to think Jesus was white. If he did exist, he had tan skin, brown eyes and black hair. He did not look like Peter O’Toole.

    I used to think most clergymen chose to go into the ministry to serve humanity and make the world a better place. I was major-league wrong about that one!

    I think to think there was some magic sky-daddy who would prick the consensuses of the fundies who mentally abused me and would make them stop. I should have listened to that dark voice in my head that wanted to burn the church down.

    I used to think in church. That got me in trouble.

  38. Wow! There is so many things that I wish I could say first but have already been mentioned here in previous posts. However, I will throw one out that I have not seen yet…I used to think Patch the Pirate was cool. I was wrong!

  39. I used to think the Buffalo Bills would win the Super Bowl in my lifetime. Boy was I wrong.

  40. I used to think I can handle any job that work gave me and if I just work harder I can fix it all. I was wrong.

  43. I used to think that if I didn’t read my Bible enough, I would lose my salvation. I was wrong.

    I used to think that salvation was such a precarious place to be that if I didn’t keep every rule to the t, Satan would drag me to hell. Thank God I was wrong.

    I used to think that only Christian musicians (CCM and otherwise) made the best music. Boy, was I really wrong about that. πŸ˜›

    1. I used to think the Christian Life was a Tightrope-Walk, and if I slipped I would, at best, have to settle for “God’s Second Best”, or at worst, plunge into the Fires of Hell. I fell off the rope a few times. Jesus picked me up, but I climbed back onto the rope of my own accord… what was I thinking of……????

  44. I used to think that people who believed in our need for a savior would be more humble and trustworthy than liberal-rationalist Christians. I was wrong.

    I used to think that there existed SOME ideology or theology that would insulate the believing community against abusive dynamics developing in their midst. I was wrong.

    I used to think that changing these beliefs would weaken my connection to Jesus. Thank God, I was wrong about that too!

  45. I used to think that If I worked hard enough that God was obligated to bless my labor (I actually made that statement out loud more than once). Boy was I wrong! I have now learned that if I focus on His glory and not my ego that my labor is already blessed because I now have the right motive.

  47. I used to think that if I did everything right, all would go well for me and if anything bad ever happened I could probably trace it back to something I had done wrong. I was wrong.

  48. I typed in my answer, and then I went up to read everyone else’s answers (cause I am not patient enough to do it in any other order) and as I was reading all your answers I began to cry as it dawned upon me (again) the lies we have been fed. I am having a hard time putting into words what I am feeling at this moment. (And if you knew me, you would know what an unusual thing that is.)

  49. I used to think drinking alcohol was wrong. I was wrong.

    I used to think secular university professors were out to turn every student into a liberal or an atheist. I was wrong.

    I also used to think that gay people were on a crusade to turn America liberal and anti-religious. I was wrong.

    I used to think a girl couldn’t breathe a word if she found herself attracted to a guy. I was wrong.

  50. I used to think if I was dedicated to God and avoided worldliness, God was obligated to give me a “good life.” I was wrong.

    I used to think that other Christian denominations didn’t accept the fundamentals of the faith. I was wrong!

    I used to think God preferred regal, stately, classical hymns and that loud, rhythmic praise was somehow worldly and unholy. Then I read the Psalms and realized I was wrong!

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