And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear (Isaiah 29:13-14).

The adage "it's not what you know but who you know" is a compelling and simplified solution to a contemporary problem, faced by most and intuitively discussed, of living in one's inner life to the determent of the outer life. The inner life can be defined as one's thoughts and feelings; whereas, the outer life is one's actions and relationships. Common terms like "stuck in a rut" or "I just need balance" often express a desire to live in community with sincerity and joy. To put it another way: people seek both inner peace and peace with others. Isaiah's prophetic utterances pose a challenge to Israel, for the outward appearance does not match the inward demeanor. “They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote” aptly describe the state of God’s people during Isaiah’s lifetime. Israel’s theological and psychological experts are traditionalists through and through regardless of the inner state of thoughts and feelings. Later, Christians would define societies like Isaiah's as legalistic in nature: they are all form and no substance. Today, we are nearly the opposite.

Many years ago, a high-school friend of mine gave me a lift home after an arduous day of work and we caught up with one another late into the waning evening light. I was a Bible college student who had just completed his sophomore year. Most of my assignments had something to do with the interpreting, understanding and applying Scripture. My friend too had been busy with studies but his were much more personal and had come from the popular readings of the time like the Da Vinci Code. For a longtime he talked to me about his various theories on God, the Bible and Christianity in general. We had a friendly conversation with some good natured debating and later had a few follow up conversations throughout the year. Not much came of our talks. There were a lot of thoughts and a lot of feelings but not a whole lot of form. Let me put it another way . . .

Think of a car (any car will do). Whatever car you currently hold in your imagination has parts that are intrinsic to its design and function. For example, there is the body of the vehicle which gives it a particular design. There is also an engine which provides for the function. Both design and function can be discussed and debated; as in, which is best or which is most beautiful, etc. When my friend and I discussed matters of faith we did something very similar but failed to properly give what every car needs after all is said and done: a test drive.

Unlike Isaiah's hyper-honor based society, we are obsessed with the inner life to the neglect of our outer life. It is even to the point that what we feel is proof enough of who we are, even if objective standards of scientific inquiry offer contrasting evidence. I can admire and defend the greatness of a car without ever having driven it, but it’s only in the driving of it that I can experience said greatness (or not). Life must be both known and lived!

In the Gospels, Jesus often talks about His identity so that we may have the opportunity to know Him in both a conceptional and personal way. In John 11:25, Jesus claims to be “the resurrection and the life”. Because Jesus is the incarnation of God, His claim is understandable as a concept and can therefore reside in the inner life. Yet, it isn’t till we test drive His claim that it’s then given an opportunity to become personal and this always happens in the outer life. Being a Christian certainly is conceptional, but it’s also a following after Jesus. To not do so leads inevitably to a dead personality. “Follow me now,” Jesus once demanded, adding on, “let the spiritually dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:22).

If you find yourself in a rut, aimless and lifeless, try hitting the road with Jesus. Make it personal. Ask Him to speak to you in specific ways. Say something like, “not my will but yours” while you pray to Him. He can lead you at home, work, school, and even on the road. Remember it’s not what you know but who you know. Get out of the rut. Hit the road.

May your travels be full of faith & adventure,

Pastor Aaron