Needed Know How

"That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour..." (I Thessalonians 4: 4)

We speak of "know how" much in our world. We all need "know how." To live from day to day, to survive, and to prosper, one must acquire lots of "know how."

One needs knowledge, skill, and experience in order to live and prosper. "Know how" is practical knowlege or wisdom. Wisdom itself is but the "proper application of knowledge."

Education and learning in "how to" live and behave is fundamentally necessary to life.

In the above words, Paul desires that Christians, in particular, have "know how" in regard to "possessing" or occupying their "vessels" in "sanctification" or "holiness," and in "honor."

In the bible, the body is said to be a "vessel," that which contains the soul or spirit. So Paul said - "we have this treasure (Spirit and gospel of God) in earthen vessels." (II Corinthians 4: 7 KJV) In writing elsewhere on this topic, he said:

"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (II Timothy 2: 20-22 KJV)

All men need "how to" knowledge to live a successful, meaningful, and purposeful life, a life that is pleasing to the Lord, and how to be "useful" and "profitable" in life, to oneself, or to others. If our lives, spiritually or naturally, are to be "unto honor," either to God or to men, then we need this knowledge and should be thankful to have been given it. If we seek and pray for this practical saving knowledge, from the hand of God, then we will surely obtain it, as God has promised. (James 1: 3) Then we will be "of use" to both God and man. We will be a "useful" vessel or instrument for much good in the world.

Further, this "how to" knowledge of things is beneficial in that it "equips" or "prepares" the person to do "every good work." It also informs of important things relative to life, such as what to "flee" from versus what to "flee" to. It involves "how to" find peace, joy, righteousness, faith, love, and acceptance with God, both now and forever.

"How to" understanding is "nuts and bolts" knowledge, what is necessary to properly function in life, in one's relationship to God and man.

Such skillful knowledge comes initially from parents and other familiars who "socialize" the child in "how to" knowledge; how to eat with a fork or spoon (or chopsticks), how to do a million things! This "how to" instruction is first practical, teaching how to "do" this or that, but it also involves learning how to "think" and to "reason" correctly. In regard to spiritual knowledge of God and the way of salvation, Lord God "socializes" his spiritual children in how they should live and behave in this world.

"I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." (Philippians 4: 12)

Oh what "know how" men need in this regard today! For Christians and for all men generally! Notice the various "how to" references there are in these words. "How to be abased" in opposition to "how to abound (prosper)." "How to be full" versus "how to be hungry" or in great need, and "how to abound" in plenty versus "how to suffer need" or want.

How many have lacked this practical knowledge and come to ruin because of it? How many who knew "how to" be poor and "eke out" a living, and then who suddenly become rich, have demonstrated that they did not "know how" to abound or "how to" handle being wealthy. How many, on the other hand, who have been rich, but who suddenly lost their wealth, lacked understanding as to "how to" survive "on the streets"? We need to have knowledge of "how to" live in good times and in bad, how to function when we go from "rags to riches" or when we go from "riches to rags."

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4: 6)

"The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." (Isaiah 50: 4 KJV)

Communication is essential to life. We must communicate to God (prayer) and we must communicate to others of our fellow man. The bible teaches that "life and death" are "in the power of the tongue." (Proverbs 18: 21)

"How to answer" every man! Speak always "with grace" and speak or answer always "with salt" on the tongue. This is what all need to learn to do in their daily communications, with both God and man. "Seasoned speech" is such a vital part of a successful life!

"For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?" (I Timothy 3: 5 KJV)

"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (I Timothy 3: 15 KJV)

Practical knowledge of the rules of conduct in a home or family is necessary for the preservation of both home and family, and thus of the individual member as well.

Children, as soon as they are born into a home or family, begin what is called the "socialization" process, wherein the child begins his life-long learning process, learning how to "socialize" and interact with his social environment. This is true in the natural and spiritual realms, for those who are physical children of men, or the spiritual "children of God."

Christians are not only in the family of man, and in particular human families, by their natural births, and in connection with their present earthly lives, but they are also members, by spiritual birth and adoption, of the "family of God," being the "children" of God Almighty himself. By this new birth into the family of God the child is immediately under spiritual tutors that spiritually "socialize" the new Christian or disciple of Jesus in the "ways of God," and "how to" behave in his new family.

Friend, whatever "know how" you need, you should seek it, both from God and men. Of course, to "know how" to sin, to commit evil acts, and to violate the laws, you do not need. What you need is "know how" to find salvation, and how to live for God, and how to have peace and joy, both now and forever.