Apply What You Know

In today’s society, we have this real obstacle called the “knowing/doing gap.” Allow me to explain. Many people today are getting master’s degrees, taking amazing courses in great subjects, and putting hard work into learning, but they’ve yet to actually apply their knowledge. I’m all for educating oneself, but most of these people haven’t built a building, created an organization, or designed an excellent policy. All they’ve done is continue taking more classes. I’m convinced that some people do this because they are afraid of life and putting what they’ve learned into practice. 

As people of faith, we love education, believe in educated clergy, and depend on our creeds and confessions — and we should. But your faith is not measured by what you affirm. Your faith is measured by what you do. Maybe when you were a child, you learned confessions of faith and creeds, or took catechism classes. As an adult, perhaps you’ve taken some church courses or Bible study classes. They’re all intended to get you to do something different than what you were doing before. If we believe, something should change how we behave and live. God wants us to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. He wants us to believe and enact the kind of life we hope for, rather than just wishing it’ll come around.

Friend, let’s apply what we know. As a person of faith, it’s not you doing it — it’s God in you! We can step out in confidence with the power of the Holy Spirit. As disciples of Jesus, don’t let “education overload” happen to you. Yes, study and learn, but remember that the purpose of education is to put into practice all that newfound knowledge.