I have been thinking about education again, and about its importance. This place is not comfortable, and it might not be the first place I want to be. But, it is the best place for me to live right now. Someone said last night that the humanities overtook her, and I think that's why I'm here. So that knowledge can overtake me for God's own sake.
I love this verse in 1 Corinthians:
Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom…We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory…Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
(1 Corinthians 2:6-16)
Learning is such a gift. Education is such a gift, given to us by a good and kind Creator. He didn’t need to give us the ability to know, and to understand, to analyze and to consider. Yet, He did. He calls us to learn about him, to seek to truly know who He is, and who we are in light of His glory. And isn’t that what an education does? Aren’t we called to love Him with all of our minds, and not just our hearts? I don’t want Jesus Christ to be someone that I love only with my heart, although my heart’s desire is to love Him more. I want Him to be the Savior that I love with my mind because I truly know Him, because I know who He is, and what He has done. Shakespeare helps me to know Him. Biology helps me to know Him. Latin, and Calculus, and Dante help me to know Him. May God build a humble desire in His church for knowledge of Him, and may He teach me to love being here because this is how He has ordained for me to learn of Him.
Paul finishes the passage with these words: But we have the mind of Christ. Because of His death, I don’t just have His righteousness, His forgiveness, His grace, peace, mercy, and hope, but also His mind. With the sovereign Lord’s help, may I never waste that mind. May it always be knowing more of Christ and Him crucified.
2 comments:
Hi Shannon,
I love your outlook on where God has you right now and on loving Him because you truly know Him. You have the privilege of being in a place that equips you more thoroughly in the ability to discern truth from error. I am glad to see you are in a mindset to take full advantage of that privilege. I'll be praying for you as you press on during these challenging college years. Your pursuit is no small matter.
~ Mrs. Allison
Philippians 1:9-10
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ...
Shannon,
Oh, thank you for writing this. I've had so many thoughts, qualms, and doubts about the form of education at my school and have looked through a very cynical lens at the way things are run here. But being at home reminded me that nothing will be ideal and I must accept the way things are at school, finding the good and pursuing that. I need to do my schoolwork with joy, not with complaint. I'm encouraged that you have also felt this way and have reached this conclusion -- it reminds me that no establishment is perfect, but we can grow and learn where we are. Thank you also for the scriptures -- they calm my mind and bring me back to the Center. This was so very good for me this evening. Love you, dear, dear girl.
J.
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