Passion Plus Knowledge

Passion plus Knowledge

They delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Psalm 1:2-3

As a novice gardener one especially warm spring a decade ago, I planted my tomato plants in March because I assumed the nursery selling them knew what it was doing. My poor plants were stunted by the cold soil and died. I had to buy new seedlings to replant in early June—at the same time that every other Minnesotan plants tomatoes.

I had passion, but I lacked knowledge. I enrolled in a gardening class and started hanging out with long-time gardeners. I began applying my new knowledge and experience against the information on the plant tags in the local nurseries. As I gained knowledge, I found myself less and less susceptible to being snookered.

My faith in Christ is not so different from my development as a gardener.

As a new Christian, I had a lot of passion but lacked knowledge. Passion without knowledge, in any subject, makes people vulnerable. It is only when a person has both passion and knowledge that they can carefully consider information, opinions, and ideas and then determine whether the information is accurate—or if, perhaps, something important has been omitted from the message.

As Christians, we have a biblical mandate to balance our passion and zeal with knowledge. It is easy to have passion; it takes intentionality and commitment and dedication to gain knowledge. Passion is not enough; we need a firm foundation in Scripture in order to navigate difficult people and difficult circumstances. Apart from Jesus, we are nothing, and nothing we do has any eternal value. Just as today’s reading encourages us, our meditations on God’s Word are what sustain our faith and help us reflect Jesus to others.

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Are you consistently spending time in Scripture? If not, take a moment to prayerfully consider how to make this a daily habit. Start by reading the rest of Psalm 1.