Believing Vs. Experiencing

"Even the demons believe and tremble" (Book of James: Bible). Believing is important. We experience many things because of beliefs. Our experiences may be limited by our beliefs. Many individuals focus on their belief system as the most important variable in their life. Believing is a system of thinking ABOUT life. Experience is the mind's preception OF life.

Belief and experience are not the same thing. For example, believing and trembling are two different things. One is intellectual or mental and the other is behavioral. Trembling may occur as a result of what one believes about something or someone. Belief may be used to define an experience. "I believe the wages of my sin are the negative things that are occurring in my life." One may believe various things about human beings. However, one's experience of a human being is more significant. One may believe many doctrines and dogmas ABOUT God without having any particular identifiable experience WITH God.

Thinking is everything in the sense that it DEFINES an experience with or without certain preconceived ideas or beliefs about the experience. Experience is life. Thinking interprets the experience and gives it meaning, place and purpose. Without thinking there is no experience. Belief without experience is like a cloud without water. Go for the experience, that is the thing of life.