Information becomes knowledge when it’s applied. Knowing your identity in Christ and having knowledge of His word are not enough, you must apply it. I’m hearing teachers from my childhood now, “Laura, you must apply yourself, you have so much potential”. Potential does not mean anything if you don’t put it into action. Pastor Steven Furtick says, “The word of God is ALIVE and ACTIVE, AA (double A) so we must be ALIVE and ACTIVE when we read it”. Put it into practice!
I teach science camp in the summers, and we are always talking about Potential and Kinetic energy. I will often have the kids squat down like frogs on the ground and yell, “Potential energy,” then I will have them jump and yell, “Kinetic energy”! If they never jump, they will just continue to sit there with a whole lot of potential and no movement. We need to move! The Holy Spirit is moving and I want to flow with Him! Don’t you? Now the song is stuck in my head, “When you move I move, just like that!” What if that was our song to the Holy Spirit, “Ok Holy Spirit, when you move I move, just like that….”
I want to live a life led by the Holy Spirit. I want to release control and live a life of faith. What does that look like? The first chapter of James talks about how “Faith without actions is dead”. A Doctor can have all the schooling and knowledge over years of study and research and then they must go into, “practice”. They “practice” medicine. Doctors must not only study, observe others, and grow in knowledge, but they must, “practice”. No lives are getting saved through their text books and dissertations. A great lecture is not an operating table. We must not only study the word of God and be filled up by it through the Holy Spirit, but we must now put it into practice. We have lives to save too, but these lives will live forever. If we had a friend who was suffering with an illness and modern medicine found a cure, but she didn’t know about it…..We would rush to tell her and give her peace that her life would be saved. Why don’t we rush in the same way to tell others about a life with Jesus?? We are living a life of potential energy that needs to spring to action.
God is calling down to you, “___________apply yourself, you have so much potential”. What will we do with the knowledge we are given? We know the life saving blood of Jesus. We know the healing and the power in His name alone, JESUS. We know the Holy Spirit is ready to lead us every moment. We know the tremendous love of God the Father. What will we do with the knowledge we’ve been given? Will we read His word more and grow in knowledge? Will we listen to His voice?
I recently heard a story about a woman who knew the voice of the Holy Spirit so clearly and followed His leading all the time even when she was uncomfortable. One day she kept hearing, “Go to the liquor store and stand on your head in front of the soda machine”. That is a pretty crazy request. I’m not sure if I could do that. She didn’t want to do it either. It took several times of hearing the prompting in her heart clearly. Finally, she did it. It wasn’t much of a headstand, but she did her best. Afterwards, the girl behind the counter burst into tears. She was considering suicide, and pleaded a crazy prayer, “God, if you are real, make someone go and stand on their head in front of the soda machine”. Her life was saved that day, not only on this earth, but for eternity, because someone decided to take action. God is a loving and amazing God. He cares so deeply for us. He hears our cries, and answers our prayers, no matter how big or small they may seem. Will we stand on our heads for God? Are we willing to hear and follow the voice of the Holy Spirit? Will we put our faith into action? Let’s not just live a life of potential. This is not a dress rehearsal. Lights, Camera, ACTION…….
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 14:12 NIV
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…
Psalm 95:6-8 NIV
But, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 NIV
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17 NIV
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