“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 (NIV)
It’s one thing to read the Bible and know what God tells us to do. It’s another thing to actually put those words into practice. I think sometimes we get so caught up in learning more about God that we forget He wants us to live out what we’ve already learned.
When I first gave my life to Jesus, I had so much to learn. I knew I wanted to change, but I didn’t realize how much of that change would require me to do things differently. I couldn’t keep living the same way and expect different results. I had to start applying what God was teaching me.
And I’m still learning. There are times when I know exactly what God’s Word says, but putting it into practice isn’t always easy. Forgiveness is a perfect example. It’s easy to read about forgiving others, but when someone has truly hurt you, choosing to forgive takes obedience. And sometimes that obedience has to happen over and over again.
I’ve also learned that knowing what is right doesn’t always mean I’ll choose to do it. Sometimes my first reaction is still the same one I would have had before I knew Jesus. The difference now is that I recognize it. I have to stop and ask myself if the way I’m responding is pleasing to God. And I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t always get it right.
Through my recovery, I’ve learned that change takes more than good intentions. I can admit where I’ve gone wrong and promise myself I’ll do better, but unless I actually start doing things differently, nothing changes. My relationship with God is the same way. I can’t just say I trust Him. I have to learn to trust Him through my actions, especially when things aren’t going the way I want them to.
Something else I’ve come to understand is that people are watching how we live. We may be the only example of Jesus that someone sees that day. That doesn’t mean we have to be perfect, because none of us are. But the way we treat people and the choices we make should reflect the faith we say we have.
What I love about this verse is the promise that the God of peace will be with us. It doesn’t mean that following Jesus will make life easy or that we’ll never struggle again. But there is comfort in knowing that as we continue learning to walk in obedience, God is right there with us.
I don’t want to just be someone who reads God’s Word on Sunday or shares a Bible verse because it sounds good. I want what I’m learning to make a difference in how I live on Monday morning and every other day of the week.
I still have a long way to go, and I’m sure God has plenty more to teach me. But I can look back at the person I used to be and see just how much He’s already changed me.
Following Jesus isn’t just about what we know. It’s about what we do with what He’s taught us. And every day is another opportunity to put His Word into practice.