His school of higher learning…

A childhood illness kept me out of public school and away from other children for most of grades one to seven. Later, I realized how much I did not learn from being with my peers, particularly the people skills that are learned by experience. I didn’t know what to say or do in many normal situations. I felt the awkwardness of having a blank mind or no opinion rather than knowing what my peers learned from growing up in a social setting. 

When I became a Christian in my late twenties, this lack became an acute reality. However, it was not totally negative. Instead, God used it to His advantage. I did not have many worldly ideas to unlearn. I also felt like a servant coming to Him eager to learn how to live.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. (Psalm 123:2)

Many other verses became a comfort to me and an encouragement when I felt stupid or not like other people, verses like these:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:4)
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)
I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! (Psalm 119:125)
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! (Psalm 119:29)

The image of having an empty platter for Him to fill became particularly strong. Many times I’ve felt like that, particularly after seeing other Christians who seemed to know very easily what to do and say, even in awkward situations. 

Struggling to be more like that, I realized two things: one is that this is not about learning it in school but about relying on the Holy Spirit. And secondly, even when feeling blank about many things, I have a great deal of pride and can be stubborn about having ‘my way’ instead of obeying God. Doing and saying the ‘right’ thing involves being humble and lowly, teachable and willing to listen to and obey the Spirit. This is not learned in grade school either.

My part involves spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading, study, and prayer, being alone with God, asking for His wisdom and trusting what He says. It helps to pray His Word, and learn of Him. Obedience is an intentional choice, but it can be stalled by unforgiveness, failure to confess my sins, and failure to be accountable to others. 

While I might have learned many things from my peers in class and on the playground, I would not have learned obedience from a changed heart. That involves lessons that come only from the Lord because He is the only one who can make the changes. This is certainly why this verse has always part of my learning experience:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

PRAY: Lord, would being in school as a child made learning about You easier? I don’t think so. It might have given me more worldly notions that require ‘mind renewal’ (Romans 12:2) and deepened my stubborn pride, but I can’t know that. I just know that You governed my life from birth to this day, and You know what still needs to be done to transform me into the image of Your Son (Romans 8:28-29). For all that You do as my Savior and Teacher, I am deeply thankful even though I realize how far I am from that goal.

Practice what I know

Both myself and one of my granddaughters would spend the rest of our lives “going to school if it was economically feasible.” We love to learn. For us, we never complained in those early school days with, “I don’t know why I have to study this because I’ll never need it in my life.”

Yet for me, the biggest challenge always has been applying what I’m learning. The process of learning is wonderful but putting it to use is more challenging, even though I know merely knowing something is worthless if that knowledge has no relevance or is not used in some way. That is, reading a book on how to make pies is a waste of time if it never results in a pie.

Another part of learning that frustrates me is teachers who never give an application with their lessons. They tell you the information but not how to use it. As a Christian, I’ve learned that God is not like that. Besides, He knows that we need all the help we can get in putting truth into practice.

One thing that I’ve noticed when teaching is a lack of response to questions like, “God says we are to maintain unity — so what does that look like?” or “Give me an example of someone who does that?” The blank looks from a class of adult Christians makes me realize I’m not the only one that has trouble with application!

The New Testament is written with that in mind. God knows we can be satisfied with knowing what to do without actually doing what we know, but that indicates we don’t really know it and are not taking God seriously.

Many of the Epistles begin with a section of information then go into describing how to put those truths into practice. Some of them begin that second section with “therefore . . .” strongly indicating that if I know and believe what I just read, then it should affect me in the following ways.

Here are a few examples. In Romans Paul writes a lengthy and reasoning presentation of the Gospel. He describes sin, our need for justification by faith, and the meaning of various terms that God wants us to understand. Then he tells readers what the result of knowing this information should be — it should change our entire lives:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

He does the same in the letter to the church at Ephesus telling them what God has done on their behalf. The first chapter alone is filled with rich descriptions of God’s amazing grace. Then readers are exhorted to respond:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1–3)

While the author of Hebrews is unknown, many think it was Paul because of the same style. It begins with what God has done and then inserts statements like these:

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (Hebrews 6:1)

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:19–25)

As a teacher, I realize part of my role includes spelling it out with examples. That is, I cannot tell someone to present their bodies as a living sacrifice without a story of someone who gives up their ‘I-wants’ to do the will of God. I cannot say renew your mind without suggestions on how to read and study the Word of God, or showing them how to analyze their ideas and compare them with what God says, and to confess ‘stinking thinking’ and how to meditate and memorize or give them other ways to cement new concepts into their lives.

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Lord Jesus, Your Word is written to do just that. You present the way You think and plan, tell us all that You have done for us and how much You love us. Our hearts may have been hard for years, but You know how to melt them and give us instructions for life that bring peace and joy. Help me to live in every area of life as You describe I should, to apply the truth You teach and to share the joy of allowing You to change the way I think and behave.

Listening to God profits my life

God has taught me to read Scripture and listen for ‘rhema’ which means God speaking to my need for that day or even that moment. One of the things that help this process was an exercise taught to me by several mentors.

They said to read a passage and when something stops me (or hits me between the eyes!) then ponder it. What is God saying to me in that portion? How does it convict me of sin? What does it show me about God? About Jesus Christ? About the Holy Spirit? How does it teach me about life? Each time I did this, I was laying myself open to ‘rhema’ and God used these exercises to help me listen to Him and help me grow in my faith and knowledge of Him.

Some portions of Scripture are particularly helpful for such reading. They are rich in various ways. The devotional passage for today (which I have expanded to cover more verses) is one of those. Even though “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17) this passage bundles all those elements into just a few words:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:1–10)

The very first phrase calls for personal examination. Am I really a Christian? Do I have the new life that faith in Him produces? If so, then I ought to be thinking a certain way and living a certain way.

The next part tells me why. I am dead to that old life and going back to it makes no sense. Then the passage gets specific. Am I struggling with any of these things? If so, I need to remember their end; God’s wrath! I used to live like that — and ‘rhema’ will tell me which ones need my special attention — but also remind me that these things are put off. Christ has changed me; I have a new life and my thoughts and behavior ought to show it.

This is God’s way of renewing, of teaching reproving, correcting and training in righteousness. He wants to complete or perfect me so that I am able to do everything and anything that He might ask of me. This is not about God being a task-master who cracks a whip, but God as a mentor, a life-guide, a life-changer. He wants me to become the very best person that I can possibly be and as I listen to Him, He shows me every detail of what to think, how to talk, and how to live, that will not only bring out the godliness He has put in, but will also be helpful to others and bring glory to His Name.

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Jesus, I cannot thank You enough for speaking into my life. You do it every day, sometimes more than once, and as I am learning to listen, I’m also learning to be more like You. I know how stubborn I’ve been, how blind, and often how deaf, but You persist and in that persistence, You are saving me and changing my life for good. Thank You, thank You!

Often forgetting, always learning

The psalmist asks that God would not cast him off in his old age. He also hopes to never cause others to stumble because of his sin. His desire is to be part of God’s solution for the world, not part of the problem.

I read that and echo his heart. As I age, I wonder if God is finished with me, and if He is, would He then began to work on those for whom I pray but have not seen any answers?

One incident in the New Testament hints at this thought . . .

“When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.” (Matthew 11:1)

It seems that Jesus was done teaching those men and then went to take care of those they loved. However, this is only for a short time. Jesus never finished instructing his disciples. Even after He ascended to heaven, He gave this promise:

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:25–26)

Not only would the disciples need more teaching, they also would need help remembering what they had already learned.

I fully relate to that need. Every day God is teaching me, but more often He reminds me of something that I once learned but forgot.

In my other blog called “Life in Parables” I am posting a collection of articles published in a weekly newspaper over seventeen years. Before I post them at a rate of three a week, I edit for typos, etc. and am astonished at how often they speak to me, bringing to mind truth that God taught me back in the 80s and 90s, yet some of which seems fresh and new.

Such is the problem of the human mind. In ourselves, we rapidly learn how to talk and to function from a very young age. No one ever forgets how to ride a bike or how to swim. But when born again into the family of God, the learning process seems far more challenging. Every lesson seems to need several “trips around the mountain” and even then, it seems we don’t get it.

Old habits are hard to shake, but a bigger reason is that God wants me to depend on Him, not on my own abilities and skills, and not on the way I did it last time or learned it yesterday. Every problem, every challenge calls for a renewed seeking, a renewed dependency. If I could remember how God told me to deal with it in the past, then I would merely depend on a remembered course of action, not on God.

Besides, as Chambers says, if I think I know the way God is going to work by how He worked in the past, He will disprove my presumptions by never working that way again.

I cannot second-guess what He is going to do. However, there is much He wants me to remember. Here are some samples . . .

“So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.” (Numbers 15:40)

“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

“Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.” (1 Chronicles 16:12)

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth . . . .” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:20)

“I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers.” (Philemon 4)

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

These days, I observe many of my peers having memory problems and myself also. As I forget names and such, my prayer is that I will always be able to remember the teaching of Jesus. His work in me will not be “finished” until life is over, but until then, may He continue to teach and send His servants to preach and teach the gospel in our cities and our world.