Why Hands-On Theology Matters Right Now

The purpose of this blog is to discuss matters concerning hands-on theology. That is the common thread, no matter how random, that all my posts will hang from.

I will hang that thread in this post as I explain just what "Hands-On Theology" is about.

Let’s begin with the word “theology” and then work back to “hands-on.”

Most people lump theology into the basket of religion. They believe that religion dictates theology and that theology is born out of religion. While there is some truth to that statement, I would argue that the majority of one’s theology is formed apart from religion. I would also assert that regardless of what religion one might be raised in, he or she will inevitably be drawn to whichever religion corresponds best with the theology he or she has developed.

So what is the difference between religion and theology anyway? Well, according to R.C. Sproul’s book, Grace Unknown, religion is the study of a man’s behavior according to his specific beliefs (such as a Christian’s behavior being studied based on his/her belief in a singular God or a Hindu’s behavior based on his/her belief in reincarnation). Religion is man-centered and falls under other man-centered areas of study such as psychology and sociology. Theology, on the other hand, is the study of God. It is not the study of what man believes about God, but of what God has revealed about Himself to man. Theology is God-centered.

Now the first thing most people would say in response to this is, “If God has revealed Himself to humanity, why are their so many different religions and beliefs about Him? How can God’s singular revelation result in so many opposing belief systems?” This is a good and valid question, one that needs to be answered. One of the main reasons that there are so many different beliefs about God is because God’s singular, unchanging revelation of Himself is judged by imperfect human beings who are unable to grasp it completely or judge it impartially. Let me share an illustration that I hope will bring clarity to this concept.

One afternoon as you are driving home you see a man in the distance standing on the side of a bridge. As you come closer you notice that he is actually standing on the guard rail, looking down into the river below. You instantly realize that this man is preparing to jump off the bridge to his death. Your mind begins to go crazy, you wonder what to do, but before you are close enough to do anything he leaps off and disappears from your sight. You immediately slam on your breaks and call the police to report that you just witnessed a suicide. They take your call and tell you they will handle it. You drive home, your mind still churning over what you just saw. What would you think about this man?

Well, if you have had a relatively good life, you will think he was a fool to kill himself. You will be confused because you cannot understand why anyone would want so badly leave this world. You know life is sometimes hard, but overall you have had a good experience. It will be very difficult for you to relate to this man.

If you have had a relatively bad life, you might envy the man. He had the guts to do something you have considered but never found the courage to do. You could completely understand how he must have been feeling. Because of your overall bad experience with life you would be able to empathize with this man.

The experiences of our lives will shape how we think about this man. It would be impossible for us to be unbiased in our observations. Our convictions, emotions, and life experiences control our opinions and prevent us from being impartial.

Also, we do not know the whole story. In fact, if we had brought ourselves to watch the news that same night we would have learned that the man we saw was not actually committing suicide, but jumping into the water to save a family who’s car had careened off the bridge. All of our thoughts about this man were not only unbiased, but were also made without a full understanding of the situation surrounding his actions.

This is exactly what we do with God. This is why so many opposing beliefs exist. We decide what we want to believe about God based only on what we have experienced and without a full understanding of how God has revealed Himself. According to this process of reasoning, it is no surprise that there exists such a vast number of differing beliefs about God.

With so many biased, skewed views of God, how important is it that we truly know God in the ways he has revealed himself? I would say that it is of utmost importance! It really does make a difference in our day to day lives. For example, if you truly believe there is a God who created the world and cares about you, this belief will make a difference in your thoughts, decisions, and interactions. Or, if you believe that there is no God and life is random, purposeless, and of no consequence, then this belief will also dictate your life choices.

Based on how we experience and interpret God’s self-revelation, we will either form a right theology of God or a wrong theology of God.

God wants us to know Him truly, just as we want others to know us truly. If someone believes I am a thief because they saw me grab someone’s purse lying on a chair in a department store, I will want to let them know that I was grabbing it for my wife who accidentally left it there. God has revealed himself in certain ways, and there is a true understanding of his character as well as a false understanding of his character, just as there is with each and every one of us. Who we recognize God to be will influence the decisions of our lives.

I write all this to make a single point:

Theology matters! It makes a difference in our lives every single day!

We will either form a right theology of God or a wrong theology of God based on how we experience and interpret God’s self-revelation. In this interpretation we want to be unbiased and comprehensive. Theology is not something to be flippant or half-hearted about. It makes a difference in our lives and what we believe (whether right or wrong) will have consequences.

Now that we understand the significance of theology, let us approach the next aspect of this blog. What does it mean to make our theology “hands-on”?

“Hands-on” theology recognizes that theology matters. Its purpose is to take our theology and discover how it governs our day to day decisions. The “hands-on” aspect of theology is extremely important because it focuses on realistic, practical ways that our theology matters and makes a difference. It allows us to firmly grasp what we believe and apply it to our lives. Theology begins in our thoughts, experiences, and observations. Making it “hands-on” means moving our theology from our minds to our heart. From there our theology will manifest itself in every decision we make, every day.

What we believe about God matters right now!

We want to be certain that it is true.

How do we do that?

We get to know God.

How do we get to know God?

That will be the subject of my next post.

The Inaugural Post

I played football in high school.

I enjoyed it. I was able to start my junior and senior years as a free safety. I was pretty good, and even got offers to play at a few division three colleges. I graduated high school feeling content and happy with what I had accomplished. You probably would have too.

But when I look back on playing high school football today, I am filled with regret.
What caused my outlook to change so dramatically?

How could I go from being completely satisfied to utterly disappointed?

Well...after much thought, I have found the answer.

Although I was a pretty good player, I could have been much better. In fact, it was my natural athletic ability that prevented me from working harder to become better. I was athletic enough to get by with about 80% of my full effort. Because of this, I chose to slack off and stay where I was rather than work harder and improve. Take team sprints for example. I would be sure to finish in the top-10 every time, but I wouldn’t run hard enough to really challenge myself and strengthen my endurance. My 80% was enough to get by without getting in trouble, so I never capitalized on my potential. The realization of this sad fact is what has led to my regret.

I was not a good steward of the physical ability God had given me. I took what could have been used for greatness and settled for mediocrity. This fact repulses me to this day.

It was so easy for me to justify my lack of 100% effort. I would tell myself, “You’re doing enough to get by. You’re a starter, why work harder for something you already have?”

Now, I look back on these thoughts and am truly disappointed with myself.

What if I had given a 100% effort? Maybe we would have won more games, gone to the playoffs, been a team to remember; or maybe nothing would have changed at all. But either way, I will never know. All I know now is that when I think back on my high school football career I can only sadly wonder what could have been.

Fortunately, these sorrowful thoughts on my high school football career did not end in themselves. They resulted in a God-given birth to a new idea! I began to ask myself, “What things am I not putting a 100% effort into right now that I will regret in the future? How can I take my disappointing lesson from football and positively apply it to my life today?”

These thoughts led me to evaluate what in my life I was holding back on, what I was putting off, and how I could change my habits to better reflect the ways I truly desired to spend my time.

I had always wanted to start a blog, but put it off because of more pressing priorities. After my life evaluation though, I decided it was now or never. If I kept putting it off I knew I would look back years from now and find yet another disappointment in my life. So here it is! My blog has arrived!

Will it be good? Maybe...
Will it help people? I hope...
Will I have put forth an effort that I can look back on one day with joy? Oh yes!

So my question for everyone now is this:

What are you putting off now that you truly want to pursue?

Is it a hobby?
Is it a friendship?
Is it a new habit or the breaking of an old one?

Whatever it may be, STOP putting it off. Evaluate your life and the time you spend. Invest yourself in what is truly valuable. Be a steward of the gifts, talents, dreams, and abilities God has given you. Don’t just do enough to get by. Don’t be mediocre. Don’t waste your life and time on things that that have no real significance.

These thoughts led me to start this blog, I hope and pray they can help you as well.