Application
It’s the difference between knowing and doing. It’s the difference between understanding and experiencing. It’s the difference between a pharisee and a disciple. Yet it is the one thing that so often we fail to do.
Last night at Table Rock we started a mid week study on Philippians. It’s going to be awesome to discuss and dig into the word verse by verse. It’s even more exciting for me, because my Dad is leading the study and my Mom is helping me with the tech.
To begin our journey through Phillipians, we talked about studying methods. A simple method is to observe, interpret and then apply. It’s called Inductive studying. This is something we do with scripture. It is something we do with work. It’s something we do in school. It’s something we do with science as well.
I was thinking though of how easy it is to observe. We are always watching and listening. Interpreting is a little more difficult, because it takes more interest to get beyond the surface and dig into what we see or hear. I believe, Application is the most difficult. When we hear or see something. We build our interpretations, but if we are willing, we then engage with our interpretations and we act.
Application IS action. Pure and simple. It is taking what we know and living it out.
Here’s where we can get in trouble.
#1 we can attempt to apply our interpretations to someone else.
#2 we can get caught up in believing that since we know, we are done.
Application happens in everything we do. From the spiritual to the physical. This is not a discussion of whether or not we learn something from the Bible and then attempt to enforce it on everyone. Although this does happen. It is a realizing that application is so much more about “I” then “They”. Personal observation, leads to personal conviction which leads to personal application. Action will truly affect those around you, but it should always be to their benefit.
Here’s my point. We get stuck observing and we never act. Or we observe and then we teach our interpretation without ever living it out ourselves. In my opinion, we can only teach or lead, once we have applied and lived out the input into out lives. We cannot teach or lead without first engaging ourselves in life.
Observing is not knowledge. Interpretation is not action.
The only way to truly engage in life, is to apply.
I appreciate so much of what I have been seeing in the blog world lately. There has been a purposeful attempt to encourage application.
“DO Something”
“Why+How=It”
“Would You?”
I am encouraged to see people passionate about living life. Engaging fully. They are tired of only observing. They are tired of stopping at interpretation. They want to live.
I want to live.
How about you?
Inductive Bible Study Methods is a class I’m taking this semester. As you have alluded to here pretty well….it is a tough class.
Good post, and one that hit me where I live. I am often tempted to stop at interpretation because when I realize what Jesus commands, the application becomes frightening.
Living a life that’s bigger than ourselves and making a difference in the world around us – that’s a goal we should all have. Easier to talk about than actually do though.
Great post.
that whole thing about being doers of the word and not hearers only…
our message this past sunday was about peter getting out of the boat…we’ve all heard it…but the “application” part was that living the life of a Christ follower takes risk and it takes ACTION…
great post, even though it took forever and a baby to get here…
oy.
this is all very hard hitting and so good! Lots to think about.
I can relate to trying to apply my thoughts and observations onto someone else without actually applying it to my own life. Why? I always feel like I don’t have time so why bother, but THIS person over here, they have time so why not them if not me? Makes no sense, but still, it’s what I do. I think it’s what a lot of people do.
Very convicting stuff preacher man.
“it took forever and a baby to get here…” HAHAHAHA!!!!!
I love it!
no baby guys. no baby!
did i say baby??? i meant day???
Hey man! Great thoughts! Thanks for the mention. I am such a do-er…which can get me in trouble from time to time. But I have a hard time with people who are not do-ers. I think it is too easy and too cool to be labeled a thinker today. When I look around, the real leaders are the do-ers. If you’re not doing something, how can you be a leader. And for that matter, how can you be a Christian if you’re not a doer?
Wait until you meet us – we are (yawn) boring – can barely move – get up about lunch time – then take a nap – dinner by then – and then go to bed – just too old Brent!
Indian Lake Papa’s last blog post…John Deere vs. Scotts ! Scotts the winner!!
I ‘m glad to see that the Wed. PM lesson is up on the TRF website, so I’ll be adding it to my listening (and DOING — James 1:22 =) schedule soon. (We have link group on Wednesdays still).
Yes, God can’t effectively speak THROUGH us until we have allowed Him to speak TO us (and APPLY, if needed, the same word in our own lives first). That has always been my desire, and I hope, practice.
Yet, ’specks’ as well as ‘logs’ still need removing and Jesus advocates it as long as it is done in the correct order (looking inward BEFORE outward) – Mt. 7:5.
D-
Tyler, I bet the process of inductive study would be intense!
Odgie, the fear is what can stop us. But living this way can also mean that He is totally in control, cause it’s not something that we can do on our own.
Brad, exactly. The application is always the hardest thing.
jonmark, it really takes risk, doesn’t it. And babies
Brandy, for me its easy to “enforce” my interpretation on others, cause I think it’s right. When often, it is just a nugget in my own process of learning.
Casey, you understand. The overemphasis of doing is, in a way, running blind. But the inactivity is very telling. thanks for your great thoughts at your blog!
Papa, whatever
D, Exactly. it is all about self evaluation. It is all about the Spirit revealing in our lives. it is all about listening, understanding and then doing. Application has very little to do with pointing at something. it has everything to do with accepting and acting.
great post – hits very close to ‘home’ here.
i have an ‘observation’ about observation though.
Very few if any of us can do it… instead of observe, we perceive. Intead of observation we get or ‘do’ perception.
To clarify, if we see someone else’s behaviour we don’t merely watch – we use perception and involve our ’self’ in that – often making judgement – on ‘them’, or on us.
If we try to observe ourself our mind wanders and is too easily distracted to simply observe in as much clarity and totality as we might have.
This poor observation is then compounded by poor interpretation because we d onot ever SEE what IS – but what we think it is – our perception – or mis-perception if we were not paying all due attention at the moment.
Poor observation and bad interpretation will result in crap application.
WE all need to learn to crawl before we can Walk.
It starts with careful and unbiased and accurate DEEP observation – not just what appars on the surface of our own perceptions.
Did i tie that in with your post on perception nicely??
As for observation i believe we need to ‘develop’ a place we reserve in our consciousness to fully and completely observe ourselves ‘in action’ seeing how our thoughts ‘move’, are started in us; how they are affected by, or caused from, our emotions, or cause them to rise and the effects those have in turn, and seeing how those thing ‘link to our ‘baggage’.
Observation is very important and it is necessary for us to learn how to become a ‘passive observer’ and not get involved in the actions, but to stay detached from what we are observing within and without of us so as to better see how we are of the earth so that we can learn how to better become just on it, while in our spirit we become no longer of Earth, but of Him.
way deep – i know.:roll:
<B
love’s last blog post…Love your enemies….
Love, right on. We need to know how to observe ourselves first. Doing this allows our observations to come from a less biased placed. Knowing that when we observe, we can trick ourselves and fool ourselves into seeing or hearing only what we want or desire. Knowing our weaknesses and biases can encourage more honest and unfiltered observation.