Applying the Truth

Recently, my daughter broke a piggy bank.

She had stacked a load of stuff, including a coat, toys and her piggy bank, on top of a desk in her room.  As she reached for her coat, she tugged it off, crashing many of the things, including the piggy bank, to the floor.  Pickles the Piggy Bank didn't survive.  The plastic split in two, chipping part of his "face" and spilling coins and money all over the floor.

Immediately, she began to cry.  "I broke Pickles," she wailed.  Over and over she cried about the loss of her piggy bank (even though she has two.)  I tried to use that moment to teach her a lesson.  I explained that had she not piled up her things on the desk, then Pickles would not have broken.  I wanted her to see that keeping a neat, orderly room prevented accidents like these.

I'm not sure she got the message.  She was still crying at the time.

We can know the right thing to do and still not do it.  That's the difference in knowledge and application.  It takes both to make wise decisions and really use the information we have.

That's true for messy rooms and piggy banks.  It's what I wanted my daughter to see.  It's also true for the Bible.

You see, God gave us the Bible so we could apply His truths to our lives.  If we just read the Bible and gain knowledge but don't apply what we've learned, then the Bible has no real power over our lives.  The Bible is not a pleasure book or some useful quotes.  It is the very words of God.  Those words bring transformation, IF we apply them to our daily lives.

Look no further than the example of Adam and Eve.  They knew God's words - don't eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  They knew exactly what he said and meant, but they didn't apply those words.  They ate of it anyway and caused problems for themselves and the rest of creation.

Knowing God's word isn't enough.  We have to apply it too.

That's what following Jesus is all about.  It's applying what Jesus teaches to our daily living.  We can't talk about the poor and the needy and the lost.  We must talk to them and help them.  That's applying the Word of God.

If my daughter will apply my advice, maybe she'll have less broken piggy banks.  If we apply God's word, we can have a better relationship with him and a fuller life.

The choice, like anything, is up to us.  Are we willing to apply the truths or just be satisfied knowing them?