Simple Truths

by

Pastor B.J. Knefley

In the process of moving things around in my office I came across the following:

• Tell me……..I’ll forget.
• Show me……I’ll remember.
• Involve me…I’ll understand.

Interestingly as simple as this sounds it’s often missed simply because we don’t take the time. Think about this for a moment. If I tell someone what to do, how will they know what it is if I don’t show and involve them in the process. Yet we often just tell them while expecting that they will do what we want.

A number of years ago I asked my six-year-old daughter to get me a screwdriver. She did exactly what I asked and brought me a screwdriver except I wanted a Philips not a flat head. When I responded that she’d brought the wrong one she simply responded, “Well you didn’t tell me which kind”. The problem wasn’t with her it was with me. I hadn’t communicated what I really wanted. The simple truth is that we must do more than just tell; we need to show and involve the person for real learning to take place. Information alone doesn’t change a person.

I’m one of those people that will get more out of the diagrams than the written word that describes it. The instructions that come with those do-it-yourself projects confuse me, but give me a picture and I’ll understand. I believe that many are like that. Yet we live in a culture that attempts to give people information without the experience. Is it any wonder that people don’t know how to do things?

True discipleship isn’t just about telling people what to do it’s about showing them and involving them in the process. Teach by engaging others in the process. Learn to let them walk along side so that they learn as you go. Then you’ll have a disciple. Think about it.