Know Do Gap

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The word "know" in the greek is ginosko G1097.

According to the appendix of the Companion Bible

• ginosko = to know (by experience, or effort);.....

Freedom comes from not just knowing the Truth but by doing the Truth and then experience it.
Knowledge without doing is insufficient.

If we just gain knowledge by reading, hearing or watching videos or TVs, without any intention of doing it, then we are just entertaining ourselves. The purpose of learning is to have a change in our mindset, attitude and our behaviour. True learning occurs when there is behavioural changes.

I would like to recommend these two books that address the "Know Do Gap" very well.
They are:

• The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton
• Know Can Do!: Put Your Know-How Into Action by Ken Blanchard, Paul J Meyer, and Dick Ruhe

The first book the authors give eight guidelines for action (rephased by me. Read original book for original wording):

1. Know Why before How to have the motivation and learning effectiveness to put into practice. Chinese says 活用 - ability to apply it with wisdom and flexibility.
   
2. True Knowing Comes from Doing and Teaching Others How.
3. Planning without Actions is useless. Decision to act is not good enough. Must have follow-up to ensure execution.
   
4. Must allow for failure and learning from them because doing is not without Mistakes.
   
5. Fear prevent us to learn new things and try new things. So we must remove them.
   
6. Internal Competition is not a good way to encourage progress in general (see the book for specific instances that it is ok).
   
7. Must Measure the important matters else we don't know the progress and correction.
   
8. Leaders have the influence on actions by the resources allocated.
   

The second book is a much shorter and easier to read. It highlights the need to read again and again, spaced repetitions to absorb the content. We should learn less but with more depth, especially putting them into practice. We should read with open possibility mind and believe we can do it (see Rule#5). We should put them into practice by having a follow-up plan with structure, support and accountability (see Rule#7 & 8). The author also support Rule#2 - sharing and teaching others as closure to knowledge well learned.

So, if you are not experiencing the freedom you are promised, it is very likely that you have not put the knowlege into actions yet. Habits, in thought and behaviour, are difficult to change. Habits are formed through repetitions and hence to change them need repetitions too. Don't give up... do it again and again until success.