What We Know And What We Really Learn

...make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.

It is so very easy for us to know something in our brains and then just let what we know stay there in our brains -- in our knowledge bank.  In the libraries of our mind we store a lot of information.  There are many books of information in the archives of our gray matter.  Most of it we don’t use so much anymore -- it was learned once, for some reason or another, and now has been filed.

Information about God is not to be learned or stored that way.  For one thing, God-information is never stagnant.  We can never learn too much God-information. The other thing is that it is not to be stored, it is to be used and nurtured and allowed to grow bigger and stronger.  God-information is crucial information like looking both ways before crossing the street.  Your life depends on it!

16 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. 17 For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. 18 Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? 19 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time:.... 22 But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, 23 not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.... 

 25 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. 26 That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.(Gal. 5:16-25 The Message)