Recently I’ve been realising the difference between knowing something, and really understanding it for yourself. I know that love is kind, patient, doesn’t hold grudges etc, but learning that and actually applying that to myself and my relationships is different from just knowing it in my head.
This difference is key to the Christian faith; knowing Jesus died on the cross, believing he rose from the dead, even, isn’t the same as knowing that in your heart and accepting that personally for yourself. A personal relationship with God needs to be just that- personal, not academic head knowledge. Often people debate about the difference between following your head or your heart, but I believe that both are key in order for us to learn and grow in life, practically and spiritually.
I really love hearing about and learning about what others have been discovering of God and learning on their own spiritual journeys. However, if I spent all my time reading blogs about that, and talking to others without being able to actually understand those truths in my own heart and own them for myself, it’s not much use. I think that’s why my time reading the Bible in the morning is so important. I could miss church, small group, all those structured organisations, but spend time in the Bible personally learning and growing and make progress in the faith. Relying only on what others tell me God is like limits me from finding out myself. Not that reading my Bible guarantees that kind of understanding- the amount of times I can read the same passage, know what it says and is asking for me to change, without applying it in my heart or life is astounding, and quite sad once I think about it. It’s through the Holy Spirit that God can speak to me in the Bible, and so I need to pray for his help in getting to this place.
Often I feel that writing posts like this is more help to me than anyone reading them- writing clarifies my thoughts and helps to soldify those understandings I’ve been talking about. My ramblings benefit me more than anyone else. If this post is interesting, but you don’t learn from it, that’s ok. But I would say that if you’re interested in getting to know, really understand the person who made you, knows you better than anyone, good and bad yet loves you more than anyone ever could, get to grips with His word and apply it to yourself. Challenge yourself in truth. She Reads Truth has some great plans if you don’t know where to start.








