Knowledge

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care".  If we read the Gospels we find that we are charged with caring for one another for Jesus is our model and His actions are to be our actions.  Humbly He walked the earth caring for so many people along the way.  We may not be able to cure the sick or can we?  How do we show people we care?  To care for another, we must first care for ourselves.  Only that which we have can we give; so if we have no love for ourselves how can we give love, if we do not respect ourselves, then how can we respect another?  That which we know we live thus life in accordance with God's love is life wrapped in peace and guided by hope.  Acceptance of such love is often frightening because we think, "Is this real, could this be true, it is too perfect, too pure to be real."  The perfect, conditionless love of God is more than just real, it awaits our acceptance that we may become the best version of self possible.  We can acquire knowledge but feel no love and still we know nothing for knowledge of the world comes from the depths of the soul while an education shows only of acquired study of worldly thought.  Anyone can quote find a quote and memorize it; but it is the person who understands and make the effort to live what they are quoting that makes them a threat.  "Knowledge is power", a thought made popular by Francis Beacon in the 1600's but I act what knowledge: knowledge of the heart or know stemming from the mind, which makes us more powerful?  I dare say knowledge of the heart enhances the knowledge of the mind and the two were intended to work in unison.  Knowledge of the heart comes with a certain intrinsic knowledge gained from a relationship with the Father, a bonding of the soul with its Creator.  To grow in this knowledge we need to step back and listen, listen to the promises made by God to His people via the Bible.  The next step in building this relationship lies solely upon our individual shoulders for, based upon trust, we are must stop and listen that we may hear the Father call our name.  It is upon acceptance of this call that we gain knowledge via the hear for we learn that prayer is not just spoken words but rather a sharing of the soul.  To actively share the soul with the Father is to willfully enter into a covenant with Him; trusting His words spoken via the heart.  We come to life in the Father's arms and we boldly walk life's paths strengthened and fully aware of God's presence in the here and now.  Awakened to this reality of God, knowledge becomes understood as power likened from the heart in the form of humble grace.  Now, the knowledge gained through study can be incorporated into the whole of our person...mind and heart acting as one.  Education has purpose as does the innate knowledge of the heart, it is not until the two act as one unit that we begin to see and understand our true purpose for faith lived is life achieved.  Undergoing self discernment not only strengthens our relationship with the Father, it also enables us to walk with others as they begin a journey to self.  Conversations need not be lofty, they simply need to be centered around the heart.  We must learn to let the power of the heart speak for it knows no competition, it knows no cavalier attitude, it knows only love, only truth, only God.  The connections of the heart are more powerful than any other connection because this connection is founded upon truth.  With a foundation of Christ, we humbly walk into our present, accept our past while excited for our future equipped with the knowledge that God already exists...this knowledge is power; this knowledge, when lived, demonstrates life lived in faith.  It matters not how much we know, how much informed knowledge was retained from our many years of schooling, if we know not the knowledge of the heart this knowledge cannot create an understanding of God and it is through understanding that gain our identity as God's children. Faithfully we walk, courageously we learn, and intrinsically we know love.  It is not until we transform into love that we are flooded with knowledge, the heart speaks, we listen, God loves and we are able to become models of the Gospels, living humbly our faith.  Intrigued by each step, people question, they wonder as they aimlessly wander in the hopes of attaining knowledge.  Blessed with a tandem relationship of heart and mind, we are charged to help others gain the knowledge of the heart that it may be infused with the knowledge of the mind.  Seek first the knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the life will follow.  Live the knowledge of the heart and the Gospels will be brought to life.  Should we truly care, then knowledge gained is knowledge lived.  How grand this world would be if knowledge lived were our first priority.  Strive we must but live we must also for it is in living lives of faith that people begin to see knowledge for what it truly is...the power of God's love set afire in our hearts.  Knowledge is truly power when the power of knowledge is expressed through the actions of humble faith resulting in a feeling of blissful peace as discovered caring eyes.