Few things irritate a competitive athlete as much as the sports media or the Monday morning quarterbacks who make comments and offer criticism but have never played the game. They are avid observers of the game but have little grasp of how to make it happen on the field. Athletes know the huge gap between “knowing” and “playing.”

James has the same issue with those of us who follow Jesus.

It is human nature to think that because we know something it means that we are applying it or living it. We therefore have deceived ourselves.

There is another danger in knowledge without application. If you stop at knowledge alone, it will dull your spiritual life. Responding to and applying what God asks of you will deepen your walk with God. It will broaden your spiritual insight.

Obedience is not a rule-keeping issue, it is a relational issue. Obedience is more than behavior to gain God’s favor. It is a response to walk in fellowship with God.

Here is a riddle for you: What is the difference between a pipe and a tree? (Stop and answer before reading ahead.)

Both of them conduct water. The tree absorbs water into its system, resulting in growth. The pipe is merely a conduit with no gain from the water. Those who move knowledge into application are like healthy trees.

Some steps to move from hearer to doer:

• Ask God to give you insight when you read the Scriptures. Ask Him to convict you. (When God convicts us of something, it will be specific, i.e., you spoke harshly to your friend, you were not truthful, you gossiped. God does not convict in generalities, i.e., you are a bad person, you don’t measure up.)
• Talk to God about the Scriptures you read. Ask for His strength to apply what you see.
• Tell a good friend what you are learning to apply. There is strength in transparency.

Time in the Scriptures is an encounter with God, an invitation for Him to transform your life.