‘So What’ and ‘Now What’: Applying the Gospel Message to Transform Your Life

Do you ever suffer from information overload? Whether in school, business, social media, or even a weekly sermon at church, are you bombarded with facts without being able to understand and synthesize the “big picture” to understand the intended point of the presentation?

In the late 1970’s, as an applications engineer for a “new” technology called microcomputers, I often found this to be the case with potential customers. My job was to explain how to use these semiconductor devices in customer’s applications to benefit their business before they would include them in the design. It was satisfying to see their reaction when the engineers and management understood how the technical facts and details of this new technology could be applied to solve real-world problems in many industries.

This is true when it comes to complex spiritual issues as well. Did the sermon you heard last week contain only facts and Bible verses yet fail to offer a practical application of this information for your life? Without being able to connect the dots to day-to-day living with a Scripture-aligned call to action, I often find myself thinking, “Sure, that was a great message, but how can I take this information and actually become a further-transformed, engaged follower of Christ?”

It’s not that I don’t want to put in the effort; it really boils down to a disconnect between intake of the message and its compelled purposeful actionable response. I expect I’m not the only one in the church feeling this way. Could this be why we are witnessing such a rapid decline in the church and in those identifying as Christians in America? A Church Leadership article written by Dr. Richard J. Krejcir, titled “Church Statistics and Leadership Decline,” addresses the root of this issue well:

“In my many years of research (since the late 1970s), the churches that do and/or want to water down the message to attract more people make a huge mistake. They neuter the power and purpose of the Church to which Christ called us … If there is not solid biblical instruction, there will be no conviction or learning of what we are and can do. The real problem is not solved by watering the Bible down; rather, it is heightened by making it practical and understandable to people … You can teach God’s Word with power, conviction, clarity, and in truth as long as you do it in love and make it applicable and understandable.”

“So What”
Focusing on the Word of God is crucial to our spiritual well-being, but it is equally vital that we understand the importance and impact of what we have learned. Answering the “so what” question to newly acquired knowledge is our connection from the sermon to our application of the facts of its message. More than being just a weekly pep talk, it should call us into a deeper reason and purpose. The “so what” needs to summarize the facts of what we learned and why we should apply God’s Word as it directs us to grow in faith.

When we are exposed to new concepts that seem insightful, asking “so what” is the key to transforming that information from mere head knowledge into wisdom that leads to action. If we fail to do this, simply learning the information and storing it away, we are wasting our time. By asking “so what,” we may come to recognize practical areas that we have yet to surrender to the Lord. Choosing to see these realities for what they are, and understanding that we need Jesus to help us, is the process that transforms us.

“Now What”
The “now what” is the next step—the practical application—the process of putting the things we’ve learned into accountable action. Spiritually, it’s the discernment of making Godly choices, thoughts, and behaviors, thus motivating us to weave Christ into every day, every moment, every decision.

This is summed up very succinctly in Scripture by James: “But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (1:22, NIV). And we see this carried out over and over again by the heroes of the Bible. They were men and women of action, who went out and did what God commanded.

As we choose to dwell in the presence of Christ, redirecting our attention away from distractions, self-image, and idols—we inevitably realign our desires, prayers, and actions. As we commit ourselves to reading God’s Word, praying for direction, and then being obedient to act on the “now what,” we will be blessed to produce Kingdom fruit.

Although it takes intentionality, the “why” and the “how” of our lives doesn’t have to be complicated. When we place our everyday focus on Christ, practicing obedience in each little moment, our faith becomes more than a feeling, payoff, or obligation; it becomes our reason to live and breathe—our hope for a meaningful purpose and fulfilling existence.