Eric Camp

Definition of “bias” – prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

We are all guilty at times of what is called “recency bias”. For example, let’s say you have a friend that you have been friends with for 20 years, or even 10 years, or even less than that, and you have been so thankful of this friend through the years. Maybe they have been there with you through difficult times, good times, whatever!

One day, let’s say within the last day or so or even a week ago, this friend does something or says something that totally makes you mad and ticks you off majorly. How is your view of this friend in this moment?

For most people, we will allow a recent event or happening to overshadow years of consistency and closeness and cause us to disengage or withdraw based on this one happening or event. This is called Recency Bias. We are bias, in a negative way, towards what recently happened and completely forget or let it nullify all the good and the years of closeness we may have had with such a friend.

This happens on jobs, in marriages, with family members, and really in every part of our lives. We go to a restaurant for 10 years that we love and the most recent visit we may have had wasn’t as up to the expectation of all the previous visits and we then discredit this restaurant and say things like “I’ll never go back”. With people, we say things like “you always do …..” when in reality it may have been just one time, most recently.

This happens In church world too. Someone can attend a church for a year and absolutely love the church and the community, but maybe 1 thing was said or implied, and then all of a sudden, “I’m never going back there again!”

We need to guard ourselves in this area because this is where offense is birthed and unity is killed. We measure everything based on the most recent event instead of remembering the many good things and maybe years of consistency and happiness that we may have had with a friend, spouse, restaurant or whatever. Again, this is called “recency bias”.

I am guilty of this. But now that I am more aware, I am working on being more intentional on not being bias to the most recent events, happenings or experiences. Maybe our friend had a weak moment. Maybe something is going on with them that you dont know about. Maybe the restaurant had a lot of new employees because it is hard to find good help anymore! Maybe, just maybe, they are human just like us and we need mercy and grace in our weak moments and situations just as they do in theirs. One moment of frustration shouldn’t negate a lifetime of relationship or negate years of positive experiences.

I want to encourage you to be aware of this just as I am attempting to be in my own life. Be on guard. The spiritual forces that be are not pushing us to closeness and unity and transparency and vulnerability, they are tempting us with divisiveness, deception, isolation and anger and offense.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV // Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Push back on the recency bias and train yourself to think more positive and have more mercy on people and places… I promise you, you will need it yourself at some point.

Galatians 6:7-9 ESV // Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.