I know of a preacher who, partway through his message, invariably says, “That’s the what; now, what’s the so what?”
“So what?” Those two words take us beyond mere head knowledge and into the realm of heart and life transformation. That’s when we ask questions like, “Does this passage have any promises I should claim? Any commands I need to follow? Any truths I must believe?”
In the West, we have so much access to the Word of God. We’re in Bible studies at church and at home. We have Christian radio, Internet, and television. But the dangerous reality for most of us is that we hear and know far more than we actually apply to our lives.
God said to the prophet Ezekiel, “My people come to you … and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain” (Ezekiel 33:31 NIV).
In response to the prophet’s teaching, the people were saying, “I love You, Lord. I’m committed to You. I’m committed to serving and sacrificing.” But they were walking away from the “sermon” unchanged and unwilling to do anything about what they had heard. In their hearts they only wanted to benefit themselves. Their expressions of devotion weren’t about God at all.
Or consider the man James refers to in the first chapter of his letter—the one who hears the Word but fails to apply it. That man is self-deceived, assuming that his knowledge of the Bible makes it real in his life, when in fact, nothing could be farther from the truth.
James exhorts his readers, “Don’t just listen to God’s Word; do what it says!” That’s a key to effective Bible study. As you read Scripture, ask the “So what?” questions: “How does this concept apply to my situation? What does God want me to change? What practical steps must I take?”
Everything we read or hear in God’s Word calls for some sort of response. It may be to exercise faith in God’s promises, to humble ourselves, to acknowledge our need, to confess a sin, to turn from a wrong way of thinking, to worship and adore God, to follow an example of someone’s faith, or to forgive someone who has wronged us. No matter what chapter or verse you may read, always ask God, “So what? What do You want me to do about what I’ve just read or heard?”
Every time we are exposed to the Word, our accountability to God goes up a notch. We’re accountable for what we’ve heard. Our judgment will be greater if we neglect or refuse to apply the truth we’ve learned.
You know the truth. The question is, are you obeying it? You say, “Amen. Yes, I agree.” You congratulate your pastor on a well-preached message. But are you doing what you’ve heard?
Are you forgiving? Are you praying for those who mistreat you? Are you speaking only words that build others up? Are you forsaking sin? Do you treat your family members as the Bible commands? Are you sharing Christ with others?
The Word of God will never be all it was intended to be in your life until you say, “Lord, I surrender to the truth. By Your grace, I will obey whatever You say to me through Your Word.”
Copyright © 2009 Revive magazine, Vol. 40, #3 “Bible Boredom,” by Life Action Ministries.