“Love the Lord your God... with all your mind.” -Mark 12:29-30
If we are to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, we must set ourselves towards the discipline of learning. I know what some of you are saying right now, “I HATE READING!” I know some think that it is possible to divorce the fire of zeal from continuing to grow in Christ, but I would warn you about two possible ditches you must avoid. You see Satan doesn’t care which ditch he places you on — the right or the left. He just wants you in a ditch. So here is the warning. First, on the right, there is the ditch of perpetual learning without truly understanding. This principle is best illustrated in 2 Timothy 3:7 which points to those who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Instead of applying, going, and doing for Jesus, these individuals just sit and talk about it, much like philosophy classrooms. This may include interesting or stimulating conversation, but nothing else.
The second ditch to the left is “zeal without knowledge” (Proverbs 19:2). Zeal is the passion and drive to do! Zeal represents burning hearts. This is to be moved on an emotional level only. Yes, the Lord called us to love him with our heart, but he didn’t stop there. We are called to love him with our mind as well. The need here is to apply oneself to diligent study of God’s Word.
It should also be pointed out that just because someone is full of days, doesn’t mean they have knowledge or wisdom. Job 32:9 points out, “The abundant in years may not be wise, nor may elders understand justice.” I once pastored a woman who told me she didn’t need anymore Bible study because she had learned everything she needed to know. I was both shocked and appalled by this statement. I also pitied her. Can we ever get to a point where we know too much about our great love, our Lord Jesus Christ? But oh how sweet to meet a blessed saint who has applied the discipline of study to their lives for decades! Their knowledge and wisdom blesses all they encounter.
we must learn what Christlikeness means and how Jesus wants us to follow Him. We learn this through the Bible, of course, but it involves learning nonetheless.
Those whom the Bible considers wise and intelligent understand this. According to Scripture, “The wise lay up knowledge” and “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Prov. 10:14; 18:15). So the primary measure- ment of wisdom and intelligence is not your IQ or GPA but whether you pursue knowledge, that is, whether you discipline yourself to continue learning the things of God throughout your life.
Intentional Learning
A hunger to learn the Word of God, the ways of God, and the will of God expresses a hunger for God Himself. Those who love God long to be taught about Him and from Him. That doesn’t mean all Christians are to manifest an affinity for learning exactly the same things and in identical ways. But it is true that apathy toward learning the things of God is a mark of those who do not know God.
We are blessed to live in a time when the means of and opportunities for expressing a love for God through learning greatly exceed our ability to take advantage of them. But all these profit little if a person doesn’t pursue them. This is why learning must always be a discipline, for a person can be surrounded by wisdom and knowledge yet live with- out their riches if he or she does not possess the discipline to learn them.
Thus, learning is indeed a gospel driven spiritual discipline; those who are not exerting themselves to learn the things of God will gain spiritual and biblical knowledge only by accident or mere convenience. By contrast, intentional learners will seek to learn the things of God and will do so individually as well as with the church, disciplining them- selves to learn from those who are gifted by God and recognized by the church as teachers.
Those whom the Bible considers wise and intelligent understand this. According to Scripture, “The wise lay up knowledge” and “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Prov. 10:14; 18:15). So the primary measure- ment of wisdom and intelligence is not your IQ or GPA but whether you pursue knowledge, that is, whether you discipline yourself to continue learning the things of God throughout your life.
Intentional Learning
A hunger to learn the Word of God, the ways of God, and the will of God expresses a hunger for God Himself. Those who love God long to be taught about Him and from Him. That doesn’t mean all Christians are to manifest an affinity for learning exactly the same things and in identical ways. But it is true that apathy toward learning the things of God is a mark of those who do not know God.
We are blessed to live in a time when the means of and opportunities for expressing a love for God through learning greatly exceed our ability to take advantage of them. But all these profit little if a person doesn’t pursue them. This is why learning must always be a discipline, for a person can be surrounded by wisdom and knowledge yet live with- out their riches if he or she does not possess the discipline to learn them.
Thus, learning is indeed a gospel driven spiritual discipline; those who are not exerting themselves to learn the things of God will gain spiritual and biblical knowledge only by accident or mere convenience. By contrast, intentional learners will seek to learn the things of God and will do so individually as well as with the church, disciplining them- selves to learn from those who are gifted by God and recognized by the church as teachers.
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