It’s that simple and that difficult. And these ‘components’ are in order but they also are, individually, building stones that you can stand on. You start with knowing, but that’s only the beginning. However, you can’t move forward without this first step. Next comes believing – believing in what it is that you know, believing that it is true for you. The third step is the ‘proof of the pudding’ – acting. Without acting on what you know, what you believe there is no personal involvement or understanding.
I’ve always believed that you are responsible for what you know. It is totally impossible to un-know a know. You can deny it or you can affirm the knowledge you’ve gain but you can not say you don’t know. So how do you handle what you know? First should be determining if what you have learned is truth or someone’s interpretation of it. It is possible to know ‘good’ things and to know ‘bad’ things but how did you come to know? Is your source reliable? Have they ‘proved’ themselves over time? And have you taken the time to verify? Knowing is the first step but it is a critical one.
Next comes your belief in what is presented to you. Belief takes the knowing and makes it personal. Over time you may modify or revise or reject but the context is your belief in what it is that you thought you knew. Because people are human and change this can become dicey if your level of belief is not strong. Strong does not mean combative. It means that you can withstand the challenges to what you know, what you believe. Change and revision are not enemies to your belief, they only strengthen it.
I know I’ve previously emphasized these interconnected and interdependent yet individual issues we all face, and face on a number of levels. This is especially true when you are acting on issues of faith. Faith is not an ‘out there’ action, it is personal and it is typically related to how you define yourself. Example: I don’t see how anyone can ‘say‘ they are a Christian and others not see this in their behavior. You are who you say you are but is there a match between words and behavior? Don’t just ‘say’ but ‘BE’.
… but, what do you think?
