God’s “back to school” advice
Most of the ads and emails contain back-to-school sales this week. I remember shopping for new backpacks, school supplies, shoes, and socks—especially socks! Summer camps and vacations took a major toll on my sons’ socks, probably because they wore them without shoes. I taught second grade, and every “back to school” season has some nostalgia for me. I enjoyed all the seasons of my sons’ school years, and now I enjoy watching them get their kids ready for that first day of class.
I rarely think a back-to-school ad is for me anymore, and that led me down a thought path that brought me to this blog post. I’ve read several articles on “aging” lately discussing how we can stay healthy and sharp as we age. Every article I read talked about the great need to continue to learn. My blog post last week discussed Peter’s encouragement to “increase” in our knowledge of God.
One consistent lesson of Scripture is that God’s children should continue learning and practicing God’s word. Solomon taught, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” (Proverbs 1:5). Recent studies have proven that continuing to learn something new is crucial for aging well. Solomon agrees!
What is God’s advice about learning?
Kids will be excited to return to school this fall. When were you last excited to learn something new? Since we should never stop learning, what new thoughts and ideas can we learn, or re-learn from God’s word?
- Learn now, in advance of Judgment Day. We are going to see Paul one day in heaven. It would be a good idea to remember his advice about learning. He told Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We need to be ready to answer biblical questions people raise. We should continue to learn God’s word for the sake of our souls and our witness. Better to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” than to hear Paul say, “I told you so!”
- The Lord is the best teacher. Register for his class. I still remember how exciting it was to pull an early registration time. There were always certain classes I wanted and almost always a favorite professor I hoped to choose. Imagine being able to sign up for a class led by the Holy Trinity! God said, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). Would you register for a class that Jesus was teaching, knowing that his eye would be upon you? It’s an interesting thought. I think I would love attending his class, but I might worry a bit about the final exam.
- Know the “prerequisites” for your coursework. Counselors were always available to help during the week of registration. It was always important to know if a class had any prerequisites. The counselors’ job was to help us get our classes completed in the correct order. We must consider a spiritual prerequisite as we continue learning God’s word. The apostle John wrote, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9). Our education with the Lord requires us to live in obedience to what we have already learned. God may not advance us to the next class unless we have obeyed the lessons we have already been taught.
- Allow God to determine your schedule and interrupt your plans. I had two roommates in college who tried to schedule their classes and lunch break around their favorite soap opera. Occasionally, a required class meant they had to miss their show for a semester. (There was no DVR during those days!) God doesn’t tend to give us schedule options either. Instead, he gives us his Spirit and the inspiration to follow his commands. Often God’s favorite teaching time is in the wee hours of the morning, when you find yourself unable to sleep. That’s true for many people in Scripture as well. Isaiah wrote, “My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). When we “yearn for” God’s word we will want to seek it, even in the middle of the night!
- Be careful to pursue the right degree. I changed my major once in college. I had been studying for a business degree when a series of events led me to realize that God was calling me to become a teacher. That knowledge literally changed my life. I lost some class credits but have never regretted making the necessary changes to obey God’s calling. I’ve been a teacher for my entire adult life. What is the degree that God wants you to pursue? One thing is sure: obedience to God’s calling means you will accomplish his plan for your life. God’s calling is how he wants to accomplish his work through you. Pursuing the right degree will mean you accomplish your most important job. Jesus told his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). When we pursue the right degree, we graduate with the ability to be an effective disciple of Christ wherever we go. Jesus hands us a diploma, then walks beside us for the rest of our lives – to the “end of the age.”
What will “back to school” look like in your life?
This is a good time of year to evaluate your spiritual growth and decide how to get back to a life of learning. We do not stop learning about God until we stop living on earth and meet him face to face. Maybe we will even continue to learn in heaven. Imagine signing up for the “newcomers class” in heaven, taught by Jesus and the apostles! I’m smiling at that thought!
Until then, what do you need a refresher course in? What class have you never taken because you thought it would be too difficult? Is there a course you haven’t taken because it interferes with something else you want to do? When graduating well is our goal, we will carefully sign up for every class needed. Thankfully, we have a wonderful counselor who makes sure we are able to complete everything necessary to graduate one day, with honors.
Allow all of the back-to-school ads you see serve as reminders that we all still have more to learn. The psalmist wrote, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Psalm 143:10). Continuing to learn is essential to aging well, for our bodies and souls.
The good news is that graduation day will be a celebration like no other!
