Morning Moments

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge may be acquired in many ways. I am by no means a handy man. The other day my wife bought a simple inexpensive one shelf bookcase from Big Lots that I knew I could put together. The Greek term for my knowledge would have be Ginōskō, which would indicate an objective knowledge or one from observation.

I proceeded to remove the parts from the box, place them neatly in their proper place, read the instructions, and remove the screws, etc. from the little bag. “Anyone can do this” I thought. My wife knows I am not a handy man and warns me about my zeal that is not according to knowledge in this matter.

Long story short, I could not get the screws to fit the holes as they were supposed to fit and I knew the company had not put the wrong screws in the bag, but sure enough after my epignōsis, which is more of a subjective experiential knowledge, I realize I could not put this thing together, so I packaged it back up and took it back.

My wife still wanted one so we asked a friend if he could help and he agreed. I was able to offer some epignōsis due to my personal prior experience (but little), so in thirty minutes it was completely done and beautiful and my wife was pleased.

That has been on my mind a lot this week. I said to my friend, “I just feel so stupid. I can read. I have read thousands of heavy volumes with clear understanding, but for some reason I can’t put a dumb bookcase together.” He said, “Pastor, if you could have done this you would not have needed me, and besides, there is no way I could put together the messages you put together for us. So, you master you skill and let me master mine.” That was enough said.

Many of us “know” truth objectively because we have been taught it, read about it, and see it in others. We have seen the joy and freedom that others seem to have gained through the personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, and yet we remain stressed and frustrated and often stiff and aggravated in our Christian walk. What is the difference? What is it that brings some Christians to such continual joy and hope even in the worst of times and keeps others in despair and defeat?

It is the difference in the objective knowledge and the subjective knowledge, the difference in personal understanding and personal experience, the difference between being a hearer of the truth and a doer of it. It is the difference in reading the manual and having the understanding to transfer that knowledge into the experience of putting the bookcase together.

Maybe we are not all “handy men”, but we can all be “spiritual men and women”.

BLESSINGS!