We may not be attending a classroom, but as long as we live we will be a part of the School of Life. With changes of all kinds happening too fast to keep track of, our need to make the right, Godly choices is important. Whew! Such choices require tests—of our time, abilities and talents, and faith. With God’s help through His Word and Spirit, our choices will honor Him and mature us.
Eternal Perspectives by Sally Bair
Learning new things
We’re never too old to learn. The spring fawns and other animal babies cling to their parents throughout many seasons. The lessons they learn have a direct bearing on their ability to thrive, even to stay alive. Human kids learn new lessons, too, and are tested in various ways. Classroom tests, often disliked, determine their grade standing in school. At home and beyond, tests determine their physical and social maturity.
Often our life tests come from our failures and propel us to look for ways to improve our abilities. As we keep learning, we gain confidence, expertise, and success. Learning is a life-long endeavor of constant study. Whether building a DIY set of cabinets, canning apples, learning a new job, or perhaps how to navigate the Internet, our diligent practice and review make it easier to pass the test for success. The familiar saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” applies to almost every endeavor.
Learning new things applies to our spiritual lives, too. Diligent Bible study helps us realize that living a Godly life means more than attending church, saying the right words, or doing the right things. The Bible says we are tested by our faith in Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Such testing requires frequent self-examination. Do we believe Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, as He proclaimed? Or do we believe there are various paths to eternal life, that Jesus was simply a good man? Or that our good deeds will give us entry to heaven? The apostle John wrote: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
The apostle Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
As our inner spirit wars with our flesh, our humanness, we do well to examine our Christian motives daily, assuring ourselves that they line up with God’s Word. A mature faith comes through constant testing and constant learning.
Lord, thank You for teaching, encouraging, and empowering us as we learn more about You and about ourselves through Your Word. Though we stumble and fall along the way in our humanness, cause us to be diligent in our study so we will become mature in our faith and compelled to share it with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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