What You Know Matters by Austin Oakley

The Age Of Information

What is the largest freshwater lake in the world? What is the diameter of the Earth? What color jersey is worn by the winners of each stage of the Tour De France? When did the Cold War end?

If you didn’t know the answers were Lake Superior, 8,000 miles, yellow, and 1989, you’re not alone. When it comes to trivia and being full of information, you don’t want to be on my team.

We live in a world FULL of information.

Think about that for just a second…

At school, you are tested on information you are taught. In sports, you are expected to retain information about plays and game plans. At work, you are paid to know certain information. The list could go on and on and on. The world as we know it revolves around information.

The Bible is clear that it is not a bad thing for us to be intelligent here on this earth. (Proverbs 18:15, 24:5) What you know matters. It’s easy to understand that if we don’t know certain things, then we just aren’t going to be as successful as we might want to be in life.

The Source Is All That Matters

Spiritually speaking, what you know is so important. It is so sad to me to look around at the religious world today and to see so many people who base their “truth” on what someone tells them instead of what the Bible says. I know so many good people who have been led astray by simply listening to other people or to their own desires. God knew this would happen and warns us about it in 2 Timothy 4:3 and Jeremiah 10:23.

Here is the simple truth:

WHAT WE KNOW MATTERS

BUT THE SOURCE IS ALL THAT MATTERS

When it comes to our spiritual lives, we must always follow what God says. Period. It doesn’t matter what our best friends, grandparents, coaches, or anyone else says. God’s Word is the standard that we must live our lives by and the standard that we will be judged by. (John 14:6, 8:31-32, 17:17, 2 Timothy 2:15, and Psalms 25:5, 119:60)

I want to challenge you as you are beginning your walk with God or as you are continuing your walk with God to read God’s Word as much as you can to hear the truth and to know the truth.

Satan is smart. He is going to do whatever he can to try to lead us astray. It is up to us to know the truth of God to avoid being led astray.

What you know matters, but the source is all that matters.

Always let God be your source.