Today I had an interesting conversation with someone regarding the upcoming Guatemala mission trip. She was very interested in joining us on our volunteer endeavor, but naturally hesitant , with concerns that ANYBODY who’s never been on a trip like this would understandably have. We talked about those concerns, and when all was said and done, we had an excited volunteer who couldn’t wait to join us!
What struck me as we talked wasn’t just her obvious compassion for those who are suffering in this world (which actually brought her to tears), but also her heartfelt desire to take her ideas about doing good in this world beyond just THINKING about them, and actually put them into concrete action. It made me not only think, but challenge myself.
It’s so easy to embrace thoughts and ideas when they remain in the abstract. But isn’t letting them remain there, in the abstract, absolutely worthless?
Who cares what you know if you don’t apply it? Who cares what you think if it remains in your head? Who cares about knowledge of what you “should” do if you never do it?
Imagine picking up a book about, say, dieting, and learning EVERYTHING there is to know about a particular method of weight loss. Will the expert knowledge you amass about that diet make you lose weight? Even if it the BEST dieting method on earth and you learn everything there is to know about it, will reading that book help you to lose one single pound? Sorry, cookie lovers, it won’t. That is, unless that knowledge is turned into action, and that diet is put into practice. (Great, there went my cookies!)
How about exercise routines? Does learning everything you could possibly know about THE most effective way to exercise your body make you one single bit healthier? Or is it applying that knowledge by getting our lazy butts to the gym and working up a sweat that we get into better physical shape? (BTW Does walking to the fridge for another beer count as exercise? Asking for a friend.)
And finally, does reading a book about religion, even the Bible, mean a thing if you don’t actually transform what you learn into concrete action? Does memorizing one gospel verse after another even matter if you don’t attempt to apply them to life? Does realizing what Jesus commands us to do (say, feed the hungry) matter if we don’t DO it?
Believe me, I’ve had plenty of fat people lecture me about what diet works best. I’ve had out of shape guys (like that one in the mirror) convince me that they know what exercise is most beneficial to the human body. And I’ve had plenty of “experts” on God’s word, who’ve never once volunteered for a mission trip or donated time in their own communities to help others in need, throw Bible verses in my face about helping the poor before running off to the shopping mall, golf course or all you can eat buffet at Golden Corral.
Astract ideas are worthless if you don’t turn them into concrete action.
That’s what our new volunteer is so excited about. Finding a way to transform her thoughts and beliefs into action. She can’t wait. And what an addition she’ll be to our group, with her energy and desire to help others serving to boost every OTHER volunteer on this trip! Her putting that energy and desire into action will do that more than ANY abstract idea ever could.
PS Did anyone find out if walking to the fridge for another beer actually DOES count as exercise? (Again, asking for a friend.)