2 Peter 2:1a “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.”

Following the wrong person can lead you deeper and deeper into error. This is why it is so important to verify the facts before blindly following what someone else says. This is true in trivial matters but much more so in spiritual things. We must have an infallible guide if we want to make sure we are on the right path.

One of the many tasks at my job is creating auction brochures and ads to be published in the newspapers. After receiving an information sheet from the auction manager, I create my ads. Recently, while building my ad I skipped an important step. I forgot to verify the information I received from my manager.

The result of this oversight was that my ad included the wrong date. The day of the month was correct, but the day of the week was not. I had all my ads finished and some of them even sent to the newspaper editor before I realized the mistake. This caused me to backtrack, recreate, and resend. Fortunately, I caught the problem before any real confusion or harm was done. If only I had followed my usual protocol and verified the information on the huge calendar posted on the wall by my desk!

Small business issues like this one pale in comparison to what often happens with spiritual things. So often people blindly follow wrong information without checking the veracity of what they believe. Instead of searching for the truth in the Bible, a book written by God through the inspiration of 40 different authors over a span of 2,000 years, many choose to follow whatever sounds good to them or whoever impresses them at the time.

Just as the Bible warns, there are many people out there creating their own truth with no real basis other than their own thoughts. Their ideas, while they may sound inviting, have not been proven over time. Sadly, some followers choose not to check the source and verify the information they are being given. They just swallow everything hook line and sinker, thinking everything is fine, and basing all their hopes on faulty information. This can be very dangerous and destructive.

I learned many years ago to search the Scriptures for myself and I have spent many years studying God’s Holy Word. Even so, I would never want anyone to take my word for anything without checking the Sourcebook and verifying the truth for themselves. This is the only way to make sure you’ve got it right.

Using the wrong information can get you into trouble. In small things like calendar dates or critical things like spiritual truth, it is crucial to verify your information. This important step will keep you from blindly following false teachers and making big mistakes.