Columnists
Thinkable: Understanding
By John Hoelzel Sr.
Oct 31, 2009

Today we delve into the semantics of “understanding.”  For instance two students can have a difference in “understanding” what the teacher and the text said, as shown by their test scores.  And we can likely agree that mere “understanding” cannot be measured in terms of a difference in behavior.  But a  more personal related word is “experience.”  To experience something is generally taken as to become personally involved.  Next, we compare the words believe and trust.  For example the Bible says the demons “believe” in Jesus Christ and tremble.  But they obviously have rebelled against Him rather than “trust” and obey Him. 

When you truly trust something or someone it affects your choices, actions, and behavior.  For example we trust some things and tend to often take them for granted, like the expectation that the sun will rise again tomorrow.  Actually based on past history and experience we all trust more things than we realize and place our faith in them, more than we realize.  For example we trust that we can plug an appliance into the wall socket and be able to turn on that appliance, and operate it succesfully with electrons we have never seen.  But we have seen our appliance work many times in the past based on seeing the results of the unseen electrons.

So what are some pertinent applications of such distinctions?  To understand something is merely a starting point.  To benefit from understanding we must move beyond mere understanding.  When we act on our understanding it’s like conducting a test.  When we sit in a chair we are choosing to trust it to support our weight without crashing to the floor.  When we experience that the chair did indeed support us safely we might be likely to encourage our friend to similarly trust their weight to that chair and experience similar results. 

To help you come to grips with these differences, consider the Great Wolinda who just successfully pushed a wheel barrow back and forth across a tight rope wire stretched over Niagra Falls.  He first asks the cheering crowd, “How many think I can do that again?”  The entire crowd cheers.  Then he moves closer to the crowd, points to YOU, and beckons, “Get In.”  Suddenly you have passed from belief to the real issue of trust.  Trust means you are willing to put your life at risk to sink or swim (traverse the tight rope or fall) and act on what you claim to believe. 

In 1955 at Rice Institute I found out I had previously only known about Jesus Christ; I did NOT know Him personally.  I had never trusted Him with my current or eternal life, and had consequently never truly experienced Him as my personal Savior and Lord.  So I invited Him into my life as my own Savior and Lord and now I personally experience Him and His promises daily.  How about you?  Have you moved from knowing about Him to knowing Him personally?  God wants you to KNOW that you have eternal life with Him.  1 John 5:12-13