Raising Cain

Believe what you know.

Know what you believe.

The importance of these two phrases has been challenging me for a while.  All through my life I’ve gone to a doctrinally-sound church, I was home-schooled with Christian curriculum, I had Christian friends, I went to a Christian college, and my parents are great Christian examples. And I’m very thankful for these things. However, I struggle with the difference between knowing and believing.  I’d like to think I know a lot, I’ve at least been taught a lot , but making it more than head knowledge is oftentimes difficult. And I’ve come to realize that what I know doesn’t really matter much to me unless I believe it is true.

Truth is truth no matter if I accept it or not, but it doesn’t change me until I do.  As Pastor Harvey  has said, “many people die 6 inches from heaven, the distance from their head to their heart.” But, what happens when I simply don’t feel like I believe?  My life does not show it, and I do things I know I shouldn’t and I don’t do what I know I should. Or simple things that I know I ought to do, I just don’t want to do. I know, but I don’t do; so then, how much do I believe that I should do these things? And if I don’t do the commands that I know I should then of what real importance do I believe them to be? I realize that this post is probably confusing but hold on. These are the things that come to mind when faced with relational issues, at times when I’m trying to decide what I should say and do, when it’s more important how I say and do it. For instance, being annoyed and irritated yet speaking truth won’t get me listened to, but speaking the truth in love is so much harder.

 It is also vitally important to know what I believe, so that I can give an answer. Good apologetics is critically important, particularly now. With all the pluralism and weak-kneed indulgence to other religions in the world does Christianity even stand a chance if it is not the Truth? 

As Ravi Zacharias said in a sermon, “there is a short distance between your head and your neck, if you stare at your hallo long enough, it will become a noose.” Don’t  focus all your attention on yourself and your knowledge. But be able to answer with conviction, but remember that it is God that works in people’s hearts. I had a conversation with a friend at work once where we discussed God, Christianity, and other religions. When I went to my car later, I was bemoaning the fact that I could have said this, or that better, and then it hit me; God would use what was said anyway. If there was something, just the smallest thing that stuck with her, it was His work and nothing I did. Pray that He did, that what was shared is remembered as being worth thinking about.