The Application of Knowledge

   What does this sentence mean to you?

   "When pipers pipe, they blow air into the bag through the blowstick; then they squeeze the bag so that air flows through the drones and the chanter."

   Shall I play the Jeopardy theme song to help you out? Go ahead take all the time you need to figure out what that sentence is talking about. Did you figure it out? Well, if you did good job. If you didn’t, I’m not going to tell you what it is yet.

   Some of you may know what this sentence is talking about. So, if you know what is means, you are the teacher. You need to tell everyone who doesn’t know what that sentence is about. All together now: bagpipes. There, now everyone knows what that sentence is about. So now you can all play bagpipes, right?

   You mean you can’t play bagpipes? Why can’t you? I just imparted the knowledge to you that the sentence was about bagpipes. Oh, you are saying I just told you about the bagpipes and I didn’t tell you how to apply the knowledge. You are right, I didn’t.

   This is how some teachers and preachers teach. They tell people the knowledge and theology; but they do not tell people how they can apply it to their lives. So if someone asked me what that sentence above was about I could say bagpipes. If the person asked me why they should care about bagpipes, or how to play bagpipes I would have to say I don’t know.

   See, if teachers and preachers are not helping me apply knowledge to my life then I cannot help others apply the same knowledge to their lives. I can have all the knowledge in the world; but if I don’t know how to apply it to my life then the knowledge isn’t doing me much good.

   I understand that everyone does have their own brain. If I look in the Bible I can probably figure out how to apply certain passages to my life. But, what if I interpreted those passages wrong? Then, what could be worse is I tell others what I think about the passages. I am spreading incorrect knowledge to other people. And,I am making other people apply that knowledge incorrectly. The only way I will change my ways is if someone sets me straight. I would need someone to guide me on the correct path like a teacher or a preacher.

   That is why it is the job of a teacher to guide others. Teachers need to not only impart knowledge but help others apply the knowledge. I’m not saying that teachers should say “this is the only way you can apply this knowledge.” But teachers need to help guide their students.

   Finally, if you are not a teacher, you do not get out of this. We are all teachers whether we like it or not. We all need to impart knowledge to others and help them apply the knowledge. If you don’t believe me then think about your children, or children you will have in the future. If you tell a child how to tie his shoes, but you don’t show him how. How does that help him? You must guide children.

   So, are you imparting knowledge to others? Are you guiding others in applying that knowledge in their lives?

   Proverbs 19:20 & Proverbs 4:6-7