“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Tim. 2:15(KJV)
One thing that most people find difficult is studying. Even during school when we are processing information for future use very few people really enjoy studying. It seems to be a lost art. Any mental effort that is not enjoyable does not appeal to a lot of people. How can you learn anything without studying? Even when we learn by watching and listening to another we must concentrate on what we are doing. Can one learn how to “sew” just by watching someone else sew? Can we learn how to play basketball just by watching someone else play? We may learn the technique, the rules, and steps of operation but we will never become able to personally perform the task.
As an example, you can never live a “holy” life just by watching someone else live it. We must be diligent to learn and apply our acquired knowledge to the actual process of doing the work. Paul talks about studying and rightly dividing the word of truth. He means that we must know who we are, what we are, and how we are in our relationship to God.
I heard Andrew Wommack say recently that it is not what you do but what you believe that makes the difference. “Doing” is only human effort to make ones-self acceptable to God. Good works are not what reconciles us to God. It is not what we do for God, but what He does for us. Studying the Word, ourselves, others, and various events gives us insite into who and what we really are. It is not our job to become what God wants us to be rather it is our job to believe we are what God has made us through Christ.
If you really believe something you will live by it. Human nature wants to think of itself in the best terms possible. The more we improve ourselves the better we feel about it. The catch is that no amount of human effort is enough. On the other hand, if we can really understand and believe what God says about us, we can live it and not just keep trying to become something we don’t believe we are yet. When we learn who we really are in Christ, we will not be ashamed. God made this all possible for us through Jesus Christ.