Enlightened

Knowledge is so essential because understanding is impossible without it. I mean our knowledge determines our understanding. The more we know, the more we understand. We could not understand more with less knowledge. Proverbs 9:10 tells us that, “The knowledge of the Holy One [is] understanding.” Also in Hosea 4:6 we have been told that God’s people perish because of lack of knowledge. Despite the increasing revival in many countries, the accessibility of information through the internet which could be handy all the time, widespread of books and religious materials, and the eradication of the barriers in propagating the gospel we had decades ago, the lack of understanding among the people of God is still an issue that has to be dealt with. As Mahatma Ghandi says, “He believes in Christ but he doesn’t believe in Christians”. He encountered so many Christians by profession but didn’t manifest the power of God’s word transforming their lives. This is so true even in our present day situation. Most of us might have the intention to live a godly life and desire to imitate God’s example as written in the Scriptures. "If I then, [your] Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:14-15, 17). Imitate me, just as I also [imitate] Christ. (I Corinthians 11:1) Maybe or most probably, the problem lies behind our lack of understanding to the word “desire”, as it is not merely to want something but the willingness to sacrifice something to obtain that desire (Dr Myles Munroe). We want to obey God’s written word, but we fail to spend an enormous time in reading and meditating on it as commanded in Joshua 1:8-9. Rather, we get ourselves busy on our leisure and pleasures. Unbelievers and believers alike, spent days and nights on Facebook and other social networking sites but cannot even read a chapter of the Bible each day. There are those who manage to read their bibles, yet, they don’t go any further in their quest for understanding, worse if they just say that what they have read was beyond their understanding or comprehension in the first place. This is not supposed to be a problem for us as we have a Helper. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear [them] now. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own [authority], but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (John 16:12-13) For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:11-12). Unfortunately, even the Spirit-filled proclaiming Christians lack this enlightenment. Doing those things which are not supposed to be done proves my point that some Christians lack the said understanding. We can mention an endless list of those deeds. To mention just a few, first of all, the Lord said, Pagans are seeking their basic needs and believers seek the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:32-33). As God’s creation and children, it is His responsibility to provide our needs; yet, we keep failing to prioritize the kingdom of God due to our pursuits of worldly things. We don’t trust Him enough and we do not just believe Him and His Word in seeking first His kingdom. We find it quick to confess we trust God but we do not have a firm reliance on His integrity and faithfulness. Our lives have been so busy with our jobs to the extent of losing the kingdom. I am not saying you have to quit from your work and attend church or read your Bible all the time. Man does not live on bread alone but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Please don’t get me wrong, it is God’s command for us to labour six days a week but out of that seven days, we should rest from our labour, allocate time to feed our souls with His Word. If we are just honest enough to admit, seeking the kingdom of God is not our priority, (if it is in our list). We rather have a day out, go to parties with our friends and colleagues, work an extra shift or overtime, enjoy our beds after being exhausted with our stressful life of having too much to do with less time to do it cycle.