Nerds are known for their encyclopedic knowledge of useless information.
For instance, I can identify almost any Star Trek: The Next Generation episode by name within 30 seconds. I’m a little worse with seasons one, six and seven, but I pretty much bat a thousand with seasons two through five. That’s pretty much useless knowledge, though. It doesn’t add value to my life and it doesn’t impress my wife.
Unfortunately, a lot of the knowledge that Christians have about God and the Bible ends up being just as useless.
Obviously knowing about God and the Bible isn’t a bad thing; it’s exceedingly good. I thought it was such a good thing that I indebted myself to Sallie Mae in order to gain a Masters of Divinity. But for all that money I spent, sometimes that knowledge is completely useless.
It’s useless because I don’t put it into practice.
A lot of Christians wrestle with putting our knowledge of God and the Bible into practice. We know a lot about God and we study the Bible on a regular basis. In the end, though, is that knowledge really making a difference in our lives? Are we putting all of that knowledge into practice?
It’s easy to laugh about nerds who know Tolkien’s Elvish languages or can diagram all the times Jean Grey has died and come back to life. It’s not so funny though when we sit back and realize that our own knowledge about God and the Bible is just as useless.
It’s time to put our knowledge into practice.
Did you hear a sermon on the new life that’s opened up to us because of the resurrection? How can you apply that knowledge and step into that new life?
Did you read about Joseph and Potiphar’s wife? How can you apply that knowledge and flee from temptation?
Did you discuss with your small group Jesus separating the sheep and the goats? How can you apply that knowledge and help someone in need?
Knowledge doesn’t naturally turn into action; it takes intention and effort. Our brains have gotten fat with knowledge and we need to burn off some of those calories with a little action…or a lot of action. We need to take our knowledge and put it into practice.
No one starving has ever been fed because of knowledge about justice.
No one grieving has ever been comforted because of knowledge about compassion.
No one lost has ever been saved because of knowledge about forgiveness.
The world is changed because of applied knowledge and action. Our lives are changed because of applied knowledge and action.
James said it best when he wrote, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
How do you apply what you learn?
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