The Gap Between Knowing and Living

It seems my faith journey is going in circles - learning and re-learning the same things again and again. It's a little discouraging, but I won't dwell on that. Wallowing never helped anybody grow. I am so excited because God recently provided me with a mentor here in Portland. At our first meeting, she said exactly the things I needed to hear. And now, I am looking back at my post from March 2007, and her key points are all right there. Oh, the humility!

This brings me to three conclusions:

1. God is extremely patient. So much so, that He is willing to teach me the same things, again, but in a different way this time. And still full of love.

2. It was remarkably naive of me to think that I could absorb profound, eternal truths and promptly apply them consistently and with great maturity. It takes practice, time, experience, grace, and patience.

3. There is gap between knowing something and living it. How do we overcome that gap? Time management? Incremental goal setting? With baby steps? The transformative power of the Holy Spirit? Through pain and suffering? By the grace of God displayed at the cross? With fear and trembling? Through Jesus Christ our Lord?

Yes.

And if I ever get there, I'll let you know how I did it. :)