Soul Scientist

2 Timothy 3:7b ISV always studying but are never able to arrive at a full knowledge of the truth.

Have you ever seen an unwanted character trait in another person which convicted you of the same in your own life? Yup, me too…but, just in case you haven’t, here’s an example from my life…

A friend of mine has lists of lists, lists from lists, alongside lists for seemingly everything. This friend is always studying or researching new topics. Topics which should have improved his life and others’ lives, if he’d implement in his life the knowledge gained via his dedication to studying. Yet, he’s like those described above in 2 Timothy 3:7b. His knowledge of a subject is always increasing. Yet his application and thus, true understanding of topics he’s studied, remain unaffected by the knowledge gained. He keeps on making more and more lists without seeing change in his habits or choices.

He’s able to tell you exactly where something is, what something does, why this knowledge is beneficial, and how or when to use something. Yet he continues to leave his knowledge and other helpful tools in storage and not use them for helping himself or others. And unfortunately, I think the same can often be said about my choices and my life, too.

I’ve got a bunch of knowledge (or know how to find the knowledge) for a bunch of things. But does my life often reflect that? Unfortunately no, because my life can easily be described by these familiar phrases, “knowing and doing are two different things” or “do as I say, not as I do.”

Yes, I do love a good list. To-do lists are a special favorite. And I especially love the feeling of checking things off my list as done.* Yet, despite many carefully curated lists, I make poor decisions. And these poor decisions all point to my worst and most frequent decision – sticking to my list instead of seeking my Lord. Or in other words, choosing my will over the way of the Messiah.

Even though I know in my head that God’s the Lifter of my head and Lover of my soul, the knowing stops there. This knowledge doesn’t compel, much less change, my heart. Way too many times, I trade His Presence and plan for my life for something else to check off my list. Such trades come from the arrogance of thinking I know a better way. Or they come from falling back on laziness in not wanting to spend the necessary time, energy, money, or resources to complete the task. This isn’t just procrastination; it’s putting myself as the center of my life. 

For if my heart isn’t prompted to obedience to my God, it isn’t enough for my head to be full of knowledge about God. Or as James put it, faith without works is useless (James 2:20 CSB). Or as Chesterton might’ve said – the orthodoxy without the orthopraxy.

Knowing without growing accomplishes nothing.

Having knowledge in my mind is one thing. Obeying with my heart, and thus, my life, is altogether something else. I must be doing as I’m growing in the knowing. Else I’m failing to accomplish what God has planned for me as His child and co-heir with Christ (see Romans 8:17). My Good God’s purpose for me is to use for good what He’s teaching me as part of His good plan for good for me (see Jeremiah 29:11).

Scripture tells us clearly and repeatedly to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (see Mark 12:30). We’re all created and called. We’re all expected and equipped. There are no exemptions for hard life circumstances, age, gender, health level, socioeconomic status, or position held. Paul expressed this truth in Ephesians 2:10 ERV God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.

Anybody can work at getting knowledge, just ask my friend or me. Anybody can work at being strong, just ask a top athlete. Anybody can work at focusing of heart, just ask a professional artist or musician. Yet the whole package of loving God as He commands requires all of me. David captures this idea with Psalm 24:3-6 ESV Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

That’s what I want to describe my life and the life of my friend – those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Jim Elliot said it well with “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

I don’t want to be a learned fool. I want to be a loving follower of Christ.

And since you’ve made it this far with this post, I think you might want the same too…

*In case you’re interested, here’s a tidbit about the science behind that satisfying feeling in marking things as done. Research has shown that the “happy hormones”, like serotonin and dopamine, are released when tasks are completed and accounted for on to-do lists. No wonder I often write things on my list to merely check them off because I’ve already completed them!

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Written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2025.