Knowing But Not Doing

 

Would you knowingly invite a hurricane to destroy your home? Silly question. But many people are doing something far more disastrous—opening the doors of their lives to chaos and collapse. That couldn’t possibly be you, could it? I want to talk today about knowing but not doing.

 

In Luke 6:49 Jesus made a remarkable analogy. He said: "The one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

 

A house built without a foundation is subject to instant and total collapse when any storm comes along. Only an extremely foolish person would build a house without a foundation. 

 

Well, Jesus said those who know his truth but refuse to practice what they know are inviting that kind of destruction. Only this time, it won’t be a house destroyed but a life. If we fail to execute what we know we should do, we’re inviting devastation into our lives; it’s unavoidable. Much of the troubles we see in the lives of Christians today is undoubtedly a result of knowing but not doing.

 

Therefore, the first thing a Christian should do when confronted with one of life’s storms is to check out the obedience factor—is there some area in our lives where we’re not practicing the truth we know? If so, that could very likely be the reason for the problem.

 

However, it’s much better to check it out before the storm hits—when the waters start rising on you, it may be too late then to put in a foundation. The smart Christian will put into practice what he or she knows, because anything less is an invitation to destruction.

 

I’m constantly aware of the fact that as I know more, I am more accountable. But I sure want to keep learning more, because that knowledge is God’s truth which sets me free. Therefore, a daily task is to checkup on the obedience factor—do I know things that I’m not putting into practice?

How about you? Any area where you’re not practicing what you know? Do you really want to invite disaster to strike your life? The smart move would be to get with God and clear the accounts. Don’t build without that firm foundation of obedience.