See; Do!

See; Do!

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Philippians 4:9 KJV

Paul understood the importance of learning, receiving, hearing and seeing. All of these things flow from a lifestyle of careful observation, dutiful study and diligent listening and studying. There is no part of these things that come by accident, where a man learns, receives, gears or sees anything of value without some effort. Gold is not seen on the surface, where a man can walk along the road and pick it up, unless another man had done the work of digging and left it out for another to find.

Paul understood the importance of the investment of time and resources, and he had done the bit he could, so he could write down these words as encouragement to the Philippians. And before I can put out my life as an example like this, the question I have to answer is this: have I paid the price in the investment of time, resources and private study, so that my life reflects these investments? Am I all noise, words and no substance? Do I tell people what to do, while I do the very opposite? Am I all about hypocrisy and deception, a life full of drama, but empty of the power of God? 

Look at those key words: learned, received, heard and seen. Paul learnt from the best in his own age. He put himself to study, and then he could stand before others to teach. No man can give you what he does not first own or hold. A man cannot transfer funds out of an account into which there has never been any deposit. You cannot give what you don't have, and you cannot receive from me what I have not first received from the original owner. How do I speak and convince you about something I myself have not heard or believed? How do I convince you to hear when I have not heard anything from the true source Himself? And when I put out my life as an example for you to emulate, can I be proud of what I am and do, if my life's pattern was shown back to me? 

The above are just a few of the concerns I must consider and resolve, before I dare put myself out as an example to others. I must not stand and tell you what to do, when my own life is a lie, and looks nothing like what I teach. I must not teach something I have refused to practice, or encourage you to follow a path I have refused to personally tread.