Some prefer vanilla ice cream. Others prefer chocolate ice cream. Which is better and what does the Bible have to say on the subject?

…Okay so it doesn’t actually say one way or the other. And you already knew that. But the answer is a twist or swirl of the two. What in the world am I talking about?

I’m talking about the importance of information and experience in the life of the Christian. More and more I hear and read preachers, authors, lay people, etcetera, putting great emphasis on the importance of making the faith experiential. These people will usually in an indirect manner communicate the opinion that there should be 15-20kg’s of experience for every 1kg of information.

I’m greatly disturbed by this! Let me tell you why. In the Christian life if you have all information and no experience then you end up with alot of ritual without any actual relationship with God. However if you have all experiential encounters without any information then you are headed for heresy, cults, or backsliding. Sound too strong? It isn’t.

Let me provide a mental picture to illustrate this truth. Think of a sapling. The sapling needs soil. But if the soil is dry then it will wither and die. It also needs rain! But if there is too much rain then it will be pulled out of the ground and will follow the small current of water aimlessly.

Friends, let’s keep good balance in our lives and in our speech. Please don’t put down information as irrelevant to believers today. As you seek for a balance between experience and information do not let the pendulum swing too far in either direction. Vanilla is good. So is chocolate. So treat yourself to an ice cream today, choose a twist, and think of these things.