Learning By Doing

You cannot learn how to swim on the Internet, so Brandon Bass has joined a swim class at the Boston Sport Club swimming pool. Most of the class members are in elementary school, but not Brandon. He is 28 years old, has a height of 6 feet and 8 inches, and weighs around 260 pounds. If you follow the NBA, then you may recognize him as a player for the Boston Celtics. Brandon has a young boy who knows how to swim and encouraged his Dad to learn how too.
Was it embarrassing to join a kids’ swim class? Yes, a little. Was Brandon scared to get in the pool? Yes, a lot. He never grew up around swimming pools, so he does not even know how to float. He cannot even tread water. But instead of letting his pride and fears rule him, he knows it is a good idea to learn how to swim. He wants to be able to enjoy swimming with his kids and be there to help them were they ever in need of help while in the water.
Some things in life you can only learn by doing, and being a Christ-follower is one of those things. Christ was sent to proclaim good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). Christ sent his followers to do the same (Luke 9:2). You cannot learn how to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God without actually doing it. Is it embarrassing? Sometimes. Will it make you feel anxious and nervous? Sometimes. But Christ, our master, has sent us to do something, not just learn about it and discuss it among ourselves, although those can both be helpful activities. The best way to learn how to do it is through practice, ideally under a mentor within a church.
Jesus mentored his followers before sending them out together. As his people we are to mentor others. If we are not being mentored by someone, then we ought to be someone’s mentor. Being a mentor does not mean you are a walking biblical scholar. It does not mean that you have the answer to every question imaginable. It does not mean you live perfectly without error. It simply means that you are in the practice of proclaiming good news of the kingdom of God, perhaps you are even proclaiming it by displaying it in your everyday life.
Christ told us to go and make fellow Christ-followers. Francis Chan once talked about having children and telling them to clean their room. Any parent can relate to this command. What if, Chan says, your child returns to you excitedly and tells you, “Dad, thank you so much for your command. We kids had a talk about what it means to clean our rooms and even discussed ways we might be able to clean them some day in the future.” Did they obey? No. The best way to learn how to clean your room is by doing it, and a good parent will be happy to mentor you as you learn.
Brothers and sisters, what is keeping you from learning how to be a Christ-follower? Are you out of the practice of proclaiming good news of God’s kingdom? Are you satisfied discussing and reading about it without ever doing it? It’s time to get in the pool.