Returning Respect to the Women in My Life — Part 2

I have to admit something that’s not easy to say out loud: for years, I thought knowing the Bible was enough.

I could quote verses. I could explain doctrines. I could argue my point. On paper, I looked like a man of faith. But in practice? My life didn’t line up. My respect for women was inconsistent. My love for others was shallow. My obedience to God was assumed, but not anything you could track.

The truth is, I was storing God’s Word in my head — but not in my heart. And when it stays in the head, transformation never happens.

Knowledge Without Action

Living in my head gave me the illusion of maturity. I felt like I was growing because I could talk about faith. But what I had was information, not transformation.

It’s one thing to know the right thing — it’s another thing to actually need it, rely on it, live it.

James doesn’t mince words on this: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Dead faith is faith that never leaves the head. It’s faith that nods in agreement but doesn’t step out in obedience. Stay in your head, you’re dead!

That was me.

What the Heart Does

The heart doesn’t let you off the hook.

When God’s Word takes root in the heart, it pushes you to act. It calls you out to love when it’s inconvenient. To respect when it costs your pride. To step out and trust when fear screams at you to stay safe.

I think about how many times I dismissed women’s voices or let their gifts go unnoticed because it was easier for me to stay quiet. I knew better, but I didn’t act better. My head excused my silence; my heart would have convicted me into action.

When the Word is in your heart, you can’t just walk away unchanged. It pulls you forward.

Moving Out of My Head

So here’s my confession:
I lived with knowledge, but without action. I convinced myself I was following God when I was really just thinking about truth, and comparing my knowledge to others.

And here’s my promise:
I want more than information — I want transformation. I want the kind of faith that shows up in how I live, how I love, and how I respect the women God has placed in my life.

My head can inform me, but only my heart — surrendered to the Spirit — can transform me. I cannot transform myself. Transformation comes from the Spirit and it always comes through complete and utter vulnerability. Transformation comes at the end of the rope you are trying to hold onto to maintain your control.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about me. It’s about what happens when men like me stay in our heads. Women go unseen. Families feel unloved. The Church loses part of its strength. The world gets an incomplete picture of Christ.

But when men let go and let the heart lead, respect becomes visible. Faith turns into action. And the gospel stops being theory and starts being embodied in our lives.

That’s the shift I’m making. That’s the journey I’m on. Will you join me?

Because if faith stays in my head, it stays dead. But when it moves into my heart, it comes alive.