Understanding and Application

Scripture Texts: John 7:25-53; Psalms 30

Facts and details can be fascinating and troublesome things. There is a chance we might have all the right facts and details and apply them incorrectly. It is also possible to have the right application without having the facts and details together. In either case the results are misinformation and misguided actions.

The people questioning Jesus in John's Gospel have their facts and details right about where the Messiah would come from. Their application was the problem, they did not realize, or remember, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, this city of David. If correctly applied to Jesus, the people would have found the facts and details to point to Jesus as Messiah.

On the other side of this is when the religious leaders try to keep the people connected with God. The law given by God was to guide the people in having a relationship with God. Religious leaders kept adding to the law so that people would not even come close to breaking God's law. Their application was good, keeping people from sin. Their facts and details on how to do keep from sin and in full relationship with God were incorrect. Therefore their good application was in the wrong direction.

Any relationship is susceptible to this challenge of application, and facts and details. Marriage is certainly not an exception. We can know all of the right things which cultivate a healthy and full marriage, if we do not apply them well then we still miss out. Likewise, if we are making every effort to cultivate a healthy and full marriage, but do not have the facts and details together, we will miss out.

Over the past few months we have explored some of the practices, habits and understandings of a healthy marriage. Perhaps along the way you have, like we have, learned a few facts and details about cultivating a marriage. This is only part of the challenge. The full challenge is in the application. Are we putting into practice the things we have learned? Understanding and application must go hand in hand if we are to cultivate a healthy and full marriage.