Knowledge Alone Will Not Heal You

You Must Do The Work

Many of us have heard the saying “if you know better you do better.” It makes sense and it is certainly a comforting line. But I’m not sure the statement is entirely true. Many of us know that we should get more physical exercise, but that doesn’t mean that we do. Many of us know that there are certain conversations in which we should not participate, or people with whom we should not engage, but that doesn’t mean that we honor what we know. Many of us know that we should say “no” to certain relationships, but that doesn’t mean that we do so.

Knowledge provides insight, but it takes healing to move from a place of knowing to heart and behavior change. We can gain knowledge from research, but research doesn’t equate to behavior change. We can also gain knowledge through therapy, but that doesn’t mean that awareness will always lead to change. A person can acquire knowledge, but knowledge doesn’t guarantee better behavior. We must move from knowing to acting on what we know. This is likely why James said in the bible, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Additionally, I believe there is a spiritual and natural component to the struggles we face. There are pathologies and patterns that chase all of us. It takes intentional work, prayer and deliverance to break those patterns and pathologies.

To be clear, therapy is critically important as it provides a safe place to process trauma, address mental health challenges and learn strategies for navigating life. Additionally, as my friend Quanita Roberson has often said, “we were not meant to heal alone.” What is more, the Bible is clear that “in the multitude of counsel, there is safety,” Proverbs 11:14-15.

I believe true transformation comes from God. Sure, there is work that God requires us to do. And once we have insight into a matter, perhaps gleaned through therapy, we can better direct our prayers. But at the end of the day, we must turn to God for assistance in acting on what we know.

This explains why one can become fatigued with the presentation of information. I recall binge watching videos from a physician and health guru. The doctor had clearly done their research on chronic diseases. As I spent that warm Sunday afternoon consuming the content while meal prepping, I found myself discouraged. There was so much information that I felt overwhelmed. I checked out after several hours, not sure whether I would retain much of what I heard. Upon hearing the information, I needed to pray for transformation and then take daily action to adopt the recommendations.

In sum, knowing alone will not save you. You can know – possibly through therapy, reflection or divine revelation– that you have had a tendency of people please. You can know – possibly through therapy, reflection or divine revelation – why you seek to please others. But it takes practice and prayer to choose something different.

And there is power in doing the work – consistently. Many of us are creatures of habit. We do what is familiar and what is familiar is what we have experienced or what we have always done. When I wanted to develop a practice of exercising, I had to practice. I had to develop a pattern of doing what I set an intention to do. When I wanted to be more loving to myself, I had to develop a pattern of speaking lovingly to myself. I had to create a new practice. But at each step along the way, I prayed and asked for godly assistance as I set about to create new, healthier habits and patterns.