Bible Passage: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3 NIV)
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:9-12
I love it when science eventually catches up with Scripture.
When scientists start saying what believers have been saying for 2000 years, it’s not only intellectually satisfying, but it helps confirm the truth of God’s Word.
You may have heard the term “confirmation bias.”
Science has shown that we all have a hard-wired desire to hear what we want to hear, and are naturally inclined to seek information that aligns with what we already believe.
In fact, when we hear something we agree with, brain scans show that it triggers the brain’s pleasure center. Agreement literally feels good.
Likewise, when we hear something we disagree with, it triggers a stress response in our brains, making us want to fight, get defensive, etc. Disagreement literally feels bad.
Science says “confirmation bias” happens when we see the world only through our own opinions. We gravitate towards voices that tickle that mental pleasure center, and get stressed/angry with different ideas.
Basically, science confirms what Paul warned of 2000 years ago:
We give weight to those who say what our “itching ears” want to hear.
The danger of this, of course, is that we may actually miss the truth because we’re only hearing what we want to hear, whether it’s true or not.
Men shouldn’t be concerned when any of our views are challenged by a different opinion, whether political, cultural, personal, or biblical. Truth that is really true is strong enough to withstand a different view.
But when we only take in the teachers we like, the news we like, the politicians we like, the opinions we like, we risk missing out on the truth (or at least the whole truth) due to trying to satisfy our itching ears.
Paul had seen the risen Lord, performed all manner of miracles, received Spirit-inspired revelation, and been caught up to Heaven. Aside from Christ, he might have experienced more of God’s truth than anyone else.
Yet even Paul acknowledged that, on this earth, we only see and know “in part” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see Jesus and know everything fully, but until then, we are limited in our understanding by our humanness.
Wise men know that our views on anything are imperfect on this side of Heaven, and that should make us humble.
Wiser men are aware of what their itching ears want to hear, and account for it in their sincere search for truth.
Prayer: Lord, show me anywhere in my life where my “itching ears” are causing me to miss out on Your truth. Help me know what I am listening to that might be keeping me away from what is really true. Amen.
Reflection: Where can you see that your “itching ears” are affecting an area of your life? What does this understanding cause you to want to do differently?
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