Growing in Knowledge

Over the past two years I’ve felt a repeated call to “get up.” I understand that’s very ambiguous, so let me explain a little more.

I, along with thousands of others, grew up in a Christian home. To be honest, that really can mean anything! To be more specific, my parents were relatively new to their evangelical faith when I was born and I believe it was genuine. A change of heart and mind for God’s glory is evident in both their lives as you hear their testimonies. Based on this new faith, our family rarely missed Sunday gatherings, participated in many weekly Christian functions, and prayed together many times. As I grew up, this was all very normal.

All this to say, I wasn’t born into a nominal Christian home – it was definitely a home that was striving for more of Jesus. For this, I give much thanks to God and my parents!

Upon stumbling into my middle-teen years, I was caught up with worldly living for a season. This led to some foolish decisions, but none to create too many lasting consequences. After “rededicating” my life to Jesus after high school, I attended four years at a local Bible college – studying specifically for pastoral ministry.

It was during these four years in school that I began to see more of who God was. My heart and mind were opening up to a greater understanding of the gospel and the role of the Spirit. Even after I graduated from college and started working with Back to the Bible Canada, I was learning more and more what it looked like to take up my cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

To this present day, I’m still being shown from the Word who God is and how the gospel effects my life. I’m striving for holiness as I determine to know Him in a greater way. I stumble many times, but I know that my heart’s changed.

The “Doing” of Faith

So it’s at this place where I say, again, that I feel like recently God’s been calling me to “get up.” Knowing the gospel, knowing who God is, and knowing the “right” things to do is not enough. James wrote that “Even the demons believe,” so we know that belief and knowledge is not enough! (James 2:19) You can do all those things in the comfort of your own heart and mind, but it takes action to really begin living differently. It takes zeal and a passion for spreading God’s goodness.

As Paul wrote in Romans 12:11,

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”

If you’re like me, loving Jesus and His gospel yet still in the comfort of the world, let me encourage both of us to “get up.” Let’s go together and glorify God in everything we do. Let’s get up out of the comfort of our “home” and face the real adventure that awaits us as Christ followers.