February 4, 2024

“You don’t need more information; you need more application!” That statement is so true for most of us. And it’s true in a variety of areas. For instance, almost all of us were taught to use “magic words” such as “please” or “thank you.” But how often do we use them—particularly when we’re talking to our spouse and kids? Then we wonder why our family doesn’t feel as if we appreciate them. Or how about the way we talk ABOUT each other rather than TO each other when we have an issue with someone? We know we SHOULD do that, and we would certainly want someone who is upset with us to come to us rather than going to others. But do we do that? Most of the time, the answer is, “no.” The problem is not that we don’t have the knowledge or information. It’s that we just aren’t applying what we know.
Our man in the story with Jesus is a classic example. When Jesus put the question back to the man about what it meant to be right with God and inherit eternal life, the man already knew the answer. Love God fully and love people selflessly. My guess is that he had known that information since he was a kid. All he needed to do was to put it into practice. That meant getting the information from his head to his heart and into his daily life. But that’s the breakdown that MANY people have. They don’t apply what they know. So the information is useless.
How about US? The question for us today is whether we are applying what we know. I want to encourage you to think about some of the scriptural truth that you read or heard this past week. Think about sermons you heard or lessons you were taught. How many of those did you find yourself saying, “I know that already!”? But how many of those can you honestly say you’re putting into practice? You’re not changed by what goes in your head. You’re changed by what makes its way to your heart and life. Information – Application = Frustration. Information + Application = Transformation. Which are YOU? That’s God’s Word for you today.