Go from Knowing to Living: God’s Way. Not Mine

As a checklist fanatic, Evie Polsley has had to continually surrender her plans (and checklists) to God. Since she was a teenager, God has lovingly shown her that his way is always the best, even when it comes to reading the Bible. As a member of the Tyndale Bible Team, she loves helping people discover the importance of reading Scripture with a humble and open heart and then finding ways to take what the Holy Spirit is teaching them and live it out in the world! It’s a joy to welcome Evie to the farm’s table today…

Guest Post by Evie Polsley, Tyndale Bible Team

The vacation location was an odd choice for my parents, pastors who had never smoked, drank alcohol, or gambled. But as teenagers my sister and I boarded the plane with our mom and dad to head to Las Vegas.

We arrived after dark, and as we drove toward the famous Las Vegas Strip, the city was ablaze with lights. It was stunning, a beacon in the desert.

The array of colors that perfectly accented the variety of architecture was remarkable—the glimmering glow shining against the darkness and the sounds of life that echoed even through the closed car windows. It was a magnet pulling us in. We were surrounded by a festival for the senses.

We pulled up to our hotel, and I nearly squealed with excitement. I could hardly sleep that night because I couldn’t wait to explore this fantasy land the next day.

As dawn slipped through the crack of the curtain in our hotel room, my eyes popped open. My sister grunted as I pulled back the covers of the bed we were sharing and sprang to my feet, ready to start the adventure I knew was beckoning.

Begrudgingly, the rest of my family stumbled out of bed too. As we exited the hotel, the riveting mystique from the night before was banished by the sun’s light to reveal dreary, dirty buildings and streets that had been concealed by darkness and glowing neon lights.

But the sunlight also revealed beautiful mountains that had been hidden by the night. The faint hues of red, tan, and gold glistening in their majestic glory put to shame the lights of the night before.

We explored different hotels, and though the unique designs were fascinating, they couldn’t mask the sadness of dreams lost in slot machines worn by many faces in the casinos. Near the end of the afternoon, my parents steered us outside toward their surprise—a sunset helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon.

The thundering rhythmic beat of the helicopter propelled the excitement as we flew past the rim, in and out of the canyon like a bird. Watching the setting sun cause the colors in the rocks of the canyon to reveal themselves in such a vibrant way took my breath away. The seemingly eternal and finite rocks mixed together to make exquisite patterns on the canyon walls. The work of our Creator was on such breathtaking display it was life-altering.

“The work of our Creator was on such breathtaking display it was life-altering.“

The human-made fantasy land from the night before could never compare to the marvelous work of God the Creator’s hand. The understanding of how humans desperately try to match or outdo God vividly came to life for me.

Though profound for me in that moment, this reality is nothing new. Human beings have been trying to match or outdo God almost since the beginning of our existence. 

“They began saying to each other, ‘Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.’ (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, ‘Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.’” Genesis 11:3-4, NLT.

Instead of asking God to help them build the city, the people at Babel tried to do it on their own, which only ended in separation and destruction we still deal with today. What if they would’ve turned to God and asked him to help them build a city? What divisions, hurts, and even wars could have been avoided if they didn’t try to do it in their own strength?

But it’s not just external things we try to do in our own strength. What about our own hearts?

“We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.” 2 Corinthians 3:13-15, NLT.

When we read Scripture, are our minds covered by the veil of our own agenda, our own understanding? Or do we ask Christ to remove the veil of self so he can reveal his truth to us through his Word?

And are we sharing that truth with those around us? Are we living out God’s Scripture or hiding it for ourselves? Are we allowing God to use his Word to transform us? Or are we trying to transform his Word to say what we want it to say?

“The very essence of who we are should be Christ’s light radiating through us so we can be his ambassadors in the world.“

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16, NLT.

If we are allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us, Scripture shouldn’t be just something we know but something we live in every aspect of our daily lives. The very essence of who we are should be Christ’s light radiating through us so we can be his ambassadors in the world.

Let’s stop trying to do it in our strength. Let’s let God use us, his beautiful creation, to shine for his glory. Let’s go beyond knowing Scripture to truly living it out so the world can see the vast difference between what humans try to make and that which God has transformed.

“This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:25, NLT

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