Caught vs. Taught

"Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." -Matthew 4:19

 

When I first started going to church where I am going now, I was struck by their emphasis on relationship. I, being a super melancholy (personality type) only child couldn't wrap my head around all this relationship stuff. We were there for God, right?

But this emphasis on relationship was because they knew the Christian life was better caught than taught- meaning: you can't really know how to do something you read out of a book. You have to be shown. Then you have to do it. Then you'll know.

Now, there's nothing wrong with reading books. And there is certainly nothing wrong with reading the Bible. In fact it would be wrong not to. But the cool thing was the things the people were doing were lining up with the books I was reading about God (including the Bible). I now get my coolest revelations by hanging out with people, either by something I am saying to them that I hadn't thought about before, or something they say to me, that may not necessarily be meant toward me.

Jesus said "Come and follow Me". The disciples walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ate with Jesus - they did everything with Jesus. They did life together. In this process, the disciples were able to 'catch' what it was Jesus was showing them. This is why it's soooo important that our actions match our words as Christians. Verbal communication encompasses just 10% of communication. The majority of our communication lives within our actions.

There is a transfer that occurs in relationship with others who love God that shapes the course of our destiny for good.

No one should be an island. Is there someone you can think of who could help you further in your faith, or who excels at something you want in your life? Try to get around that person. Life is better caught than taught.

Growing Through Experience

 

"So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah." -1 Samuel 16:13

We live in a very microwave culture.  If we want something, we want it now!  But, even though we can go through a drive-thru to get fast food immediately, this microwave mentality often does not apply to our calling and life with God.

We tend to think of David in the Bible as the great shepherd king, the worshipper after God’s own heart.  But I wonder when we think of him, if we truly consider all the processing David endured after he was anointed to be king?  Yes he won the fight against Goliath; but after he was anointed, he went back to tending sheep!  He spent many years running from Saul.  It was only after he was tested and he did not kill his enemy Saul that God allowed David to be king. This was years after Samuel had anointed the little shepherd boy in the field before his brothers.

Often we can be impatient with God’s processing.  We may want God’s promises - all right now!  But God has His reasons for timing that may not make sense to us in the moment.  We may not be ready.  We may not be able to handle what He wants to give us until He puts us in a place of character building.  We have to learn to trust God when we have not yet seen the manifestation of the dream that is on the inside of our hearts. This is how God knows we can be trusted with it. This is how we grow to be able to have the capacity to carry God-sized dreams.  We grow through experience.

Are you letting God grow you through experience?  Even if you feel the place you are at right now is not your ultimate destination, decide to treat it with respect.  It will often provide the training ground we’ll need to be able to withstand God’s promises in our lives and our ultimate calling.