A how-to guide to Faith?
There are so many things in life to try to remember: What time is my appointment, when is that anniversary or birthday, what was that thing I was supposed to do? What was that person’s name who said hi? Why did I walk into this room?
I’m so glad I don’t have to figure things out on my own and that many things come with instructions or manuals, like Ikea furniture. Nowadays, with the internet, you can figure out how to do anything.
A person can watch a video that demonstrates what to do. You can research on how to build, repair, purchase, train or be generally well informed on almost everything. Gone are the days of having to commit everything to memory, or sifting through the library.
With the addition of the ubiquitous smart phone, information is universally available. We are capable of holding a phone, calendar, notebook, Facetime, calculator, GPS, map, internet, email and so much more in one just device.
Who feels compelled to remember phone numbers or read a paper map or do simple math when you can type the answers in a second?
This also has affected the church community. It used to be that you looked up in your Bible the Book, chapter and verse the Minister was referring to. Now most click on their app and do a drop-down selection to read along, or the scripture reference is displayed on a big screen for all to follow.
Who is left that can recite the 10 Commandments? The Lord’s Prayer? Who can give a general scriptural estimation on any issue presented to them? Who can narrate the big picture understanding of God’s redemptive plan?
In the Book of Acts 17:10-11, the Bereans were noted for studying the scriptures daily, which would have, at that time, been restricted to the Old Testament since the New Testament had not been written. Their research and study were to prove out (Apologetics) that the information about Christ was true or not.
In Matt 22:35-39 Jesus is asked what the greatest and most important commandment is, and he replied, V37, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. V39 “and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
There are some things we must commit to memory and not rely on external sources to have the necessary data, those two commandments are examples.
Some occupations cannot wait to look up information in order to accomplish their task. But I challenge you: would anyone want to see their doctor performing surgery on them reading from a ‘how to” online forum? Or a truck driver figuring out via Youtube how to drive his rig? Let alone the dentist referring to school papers when cleaning your teeth.
It’s the same thing with Faith. We shouldn’t have to look up scripture every time in order to know how to treat people, or to be faithful in marriage. To know not to lie, defraud others, to not be greedy, racist or participate in filthy conversations.
After learning enough, our living out what we know should become intuitive. Mainly because if we memorize the essentials, we internalize the meaning. So we live out externally what we have learned, studied and memorized.
2 Tim 2:15 KJ says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
It’s not always how much you know, but it’s always how much you live. You must know something in order to remember to live by it. Faith is no different.