From Head to Heart: A Missing Piece in Our Faith

From Head to Heart: A Missing Piece in Our Faith

Today in my public speaking class, I asked a simple yet profound question: "Who here has ever shared the Gospel and seen someone come to faith?" The silence was deafening. Not one hand went up. Every student in the class professed to be a Christian, yet none had experienced the joy of leading another person to Christ. This stark reality hit me hard.

This moment resonated even deeper as my students shared their testimonies – a weekly assignment designed to help them articulate their faith journeys. One young woman's story, in particular, sparked a powerful realization. She described herself as a Christian in the cognitive sense. She knew the doctrines, the stories, the theological framework. But her faith remained primarily intellectual until she taught younger children at a youth camp. There, something shifted. Her experience mirrored something I'd witnessed in the mission field: she possessed knowledge, but hadn't yet translated it into lived experience. This youth camp was the catalyst. It was in the doing that her faith moved from her head to her heart, becoming truly her own. The act of teaching, of sharing her faith with others, moved her even further. 

This student's journey is a familiar one. Many Christians, especially in North America, grow up in church, absorbing information about Christianity. We gain a cognitive understanding, but often struggle to apply what we learn. And I believe this stems, at least in part, from how the North American church often approaches discipleship.

The prevailing model often looks like this: gain knowledge (often formalized through a degree), then, and only then, can you apply it (within certain parameters). Finally, after demonstrating sufficient application and proficiency, you might be considered ready to teach (typically in a formal leadership role). This linear progression feels logical, but it stands in stark contrast to the model Jesus exemplified.

Jesus' approach is characterized by simultaneous immediacy. He calls us to learn and grow in knowledge, yes, but He expects us to apply it immediately. Furthermore, while we are applying what we learn, even as we are still learning, we are called to teach others. This is the very essence of discipleship. If we wait until we feel we know enough, until we feel completely ready, we’ll never truly make disciples. We’ll be trapped in a cycle of perpetual learning, paralyzed by inaction. And this, I believe, is precisely why my students, despite their faith, had never shared the Gospel.

The key lies in understanding the interconnected nature of this process. Knowledge fuels obedience. Obedience, in turn, fuels sharing. And the act of sharing deepens and strengthens our knowledge. It's a dynamic, circular process, not a linear one. When we grasp this, when we embrace the principle of simultaneous immediacy, we can begin to live out the vibrant, transformative faith that Jesus modeled. It's not about having all the answers before we act. It's about stepping out in faith, applying what we know, sharing what we've experienced, and allowing that very process to shape and deepen our understanding. It's about moving from simply knowing about Jesus, to truly knowing Him.