The Message version of this verse says, “Friends, are well-warned. Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. Grow in grace and understanding…” In other words, don’t get swept away by everything you hear.
Our worldview is shaped by the things that happen to us and the ways in which we respond. But our anchor should not be in what we hear from others. That should only add color. Our perspective should be rooted in the reality of who God is, and who he made us to be.
Our perspective affects our choices, and our choices affect our perspective. But truth depends on whom we trust. And the One whom we trust is infinite. Our perspective of God is and always will be very limited.
In this life, it makes little sense to act as though we are God. To behave as though we fully see all things. There is much we don’t know.
In a world that constantly asserts certainty, we can have the humility to remain in a state of trust. We can recognize that we are creatures. Then, as we use our powers of observation, we can move from self-deception to a position of discovering that truth resides all around us.
“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.”
– 2 Peter 3:17