"But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God."
I Corinthians 8:1b-3
Hypocrisy The rickety station wagon plastered with "Jesus" bumper stickers cut me off and pulled into the parking lot in front of me. As the driver eased to a stop in front of the curb, I watched in curiosity. A tall, thin man climbed out and briskly walked into the gym. Later, I was surprised to see this same man take my elliptical as I quickly ran to the restroom in the middle of my workout. "Oh, I'm sorry, was this yours?" he asked as he continued his training. I retrieved my water bottle, book and towel and mumbled something about finding another machine. Before leaving the gym that day, his voice stood out among the clanks of the weights. "Oh yeah, reading the Word is so important. I make sure and do that every morning."
All the Right Things The scenario described above illustrates the importance of knowing God. I can know the Bible like the back of my hand, attend church regularly, take advantage of every Bible study offered, and listen to sermons on the radio in my spare time, but if I don't know God, it just serves to puff me up with importance.
Hollow I remember seeing the most delicious-looking pastry sitting on the serving plate in the dining room of the hotel we stayed at when we first arrived in Germany for a 3-year tour of duty. I carefully chose the delectable donut and placed it on my plate. As I bit into it, I was saddened to find out that it wasn't at all what I had first though, but was actually hollow and quite empty of filling. Disappointed, I left the pathetic thing on my plate and finished the rest of my breakfast.
Empty Shell Knowledge of God's Word apart from God Himself does this to me. I become this empty shell of a person who thinks I know all, yet am completely oblivious to how my actions affect those around me. Kind of like the guy at the gym. So how do I avoid this dangerous trap?
Spend Time with God One of the greatest areas of frustration in my life is when I am not able to spend time with my husband. I love him and want to enjoy his company. But many times the busyness of life competes with this time and I find my love growing cold. We have to make a conscious effort to cultivate our relationship. It is the same with God. To know Him, I must spend time with Him in quiet meditation, honest conversation, and healthy study of His Word with a sensitivity to His leading as I read.
Cultivate a Love for God It is easy to get caught up in the religion of Christianity, learning all the rules, lingo, and traditions but forgetting the most important thing: Love. "We love because he first loved us." (I John 4:19) Love does not come naturally in my flesh, but it is born out of my connection to God, who is love (see verse 16). As a follower of Christ, I have love dwelling within me, but it can so easily be suppressed. It is kind of like the beautiful roses growing in the flower bed on the side of my house. They need constant care and protection against the danger of pests, diseases or lack of water. Similarly, I must take care to cultivate my love relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, guarding against legalism, pride, selfish ambition and all those things that elevate myself about my God.
God's Perspective I remember sitting on my neighbors porch and marveling at how different my house looked to me from another viewpoint. Its the same with God. He sees things differently than I do, and if I want to love others, I need to be able to see them from His viewpoint. I have my sinful attitudes, prejudices,and beliefs that cloud my viewpoint. If I really want God's love to flow through me, I have to ask God for His perspective. When I yield my will to His, He allows me to see people the way He sees them and I become compassionate, caring and kind. When I place my agenda above God's, I see people from my own perspective and I become irritable, impatient and harsh.
Spending time with God, cultivating my love relationship my Him, and seeing things from His perspective is what will guard my heart against the hollowness of mere learning. Love is the key, as it serves to build up the body of Christ, while knowledge solely puffs me up as an individual.
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can let the love of God rule in my life and be known by Him.
Where am I taking pride in the knowledge of scripture yet not letting the Truth of it change me?
What parts of my life are getting in the way of my love relationship with Jesus?
No comments:
Post a Comment