Two Coats

I heard about a lady who told her husband she was going to paint her kitchen today.  When the husband came home from work he found sweating profusely while painting.  She was sweating because she had a hooded parka on under a rain jacket.  “Why are you wearing that while painting?” her husband asked.  Her response was “I’m just following the instructions.  It says on the can for best results put on two coats.”  (She might have been a blond huh?)

Actually I like that story because in our attempt to do something right and good, there are instruction to follow.  Even though we do not get it right we try.  Putting the word of God to action in our life is the true challenge of Christianity.  If we don’t apply it, the Bible becomes nothing more to us than a dry, tedious tome, an impractical collection of old manuscripts. That’s why Paul says, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). When we apply the Bible, God Himself will be with us.

The degree to which we study, memorize, and meditate on God’s Word is the degree to which we understand how it applies to our lives. But understanding how the Word applies is not enough; we must actually apply it (James 1:22). “Application” implies action, and obedient action is the final step in causing God’s Word to come to life in our lives. The application of Scripture enforces and further enlightens our study, and it also serves to sharpen our discernment, helping us to better distinguish between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).