Discipleship is important because our faith is not grown simply by learning more about God. Conservationist Cara Daneel explained that environmental education experts found that “psychologists have difficulty explaining a clear relationship between ‘pro-environmental attitudes’ and ‘pro-environmental behavior.’” In the face of massive coral reef destruction that would wreak havoc on important ocean ecosystems, education was able to change people’s beliefs about the importance of conservation, but it wasn’t able to motivate them to change their actions. The same is true of living the Christian life: right knowledge of God is crucial, but it won’t change our behavior if it stays in the realm of cognitive agreement (Cara Daneel, “Thoughts on Discipleship from a Marine Conservationist,” Christianity Today, August 30, 2017).
