A terse encounter with a gentle man left me laughing at my lack of attention to details about some things around me. I stopped to buy gas when I observed a middle aged man pulled up by the pump on the opposite side. He starting filling his tank and mentioned how happy he was about the price of gas going down again. I agreed with him and focused on texting. He then asked ‘How many gallons does your SUV take?’ to which I answered ‘well I don’t know. It’s my wife’s car. I am just filling up the gas I used up before she gets back from her trip’. He smiled and said, ‘I know how many gallons all the cars in my house takes’. ‘Good for you’ I responded. I drove off knowing this encounter has helped exposed me to how ignorant I have been about so many things lying down in my house and office.

We pray to God to take us places while still largely ignorant about details of things we need to improve on and all He has prepared in His word for us to get there.

Ignorance Has No Respect

We live in a generation plagued by overstimulated and overcommitted schedule. We seem to be so busy that we do not find time for reflecting on what we have listened to and what we need to really ask questions about. This can result in the people of faith appearing to be a mile wide but may not be an inch deep. Ignorance is no respecter of age, title, class, creed, color or gender.

A Generation Heavily Depended on Emotion.

The Bible says knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4). Truly, knowledge has increased and it’s still increasing universally. However, like the story of me and my gas tank, we (Christians) have refused to pay attention to that aspect of our faith. We seem to gravitate more towards power, prosperity, class, style and miracle, and pay little or no attention to Bible study, a core means for spiritual and relevant growth, and increase in knowledge needed to practice our faith. The desire to move with the trend of style sweeping across charismatic churches has seen Bible study, which is one of the major means of Biblical instruction in the past, weakened. A few of the Bible study sessions we hold these days really have no difference with Sunday service worship. The speaker comes up with showiness to hold the congregants to a time of charismatic display and oratory to help stimulate their emotions. That has birthed a generation heavily depended on emotion to feed their faith instead of solid knowledge of the word.

Christianity of emotion, if not checked, may lead to assumptions and decisions that could make a believer ignorant yet arrogant.

You have a Choice.

You can choose to be governed by your feelings or by your commitment to feeding your faith through real bible study of asking questions and getting answers about things that appear hazy to you from the Bible, or other means of acquiring sound scriptural knowledge.

“We teach for learning but we preach for living” Dr. David Anderson

Knowledge and choice provide power and control. By embracing a desire for learning, and a passionate move away from the world of ignorance, emotion and religion, you can make an incredible and life enhancing difference to your happiness.