Learning Jesus (5)

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3.13, 14

Single-minded?
Solomon explained that God has charged us with the burdensome task of searching out, studying, investigating, and learning everything we can so that we might be wise and glorify God in every area of our lives. Daniel and Paul show us the great benefits and advantages of taking this aspect of our discipleship seriously. Study and learning may be burdensome, but they can lead to wisdom, and help us to fulfill our callings as those who ought to teach the things of Christ to others.

This project of lifelong learning must begin in our hearts, as we have seen. Eager to learn and motivated by the fear and love of God, we must set our minds to pursue learning in order to know and serve the Lord; and we must allow nothing to pull us off course in our pursuit of the wisdom of God which is in Jesus Christ.

That’s where Paul was. After a lifetime of being mad for learning, Paul had become, as a follower of Jesus, even more determined to learn everything he could about the Lord, His Kingdom, the people to whom he had been sent, and the Lord’s glorious reign on high.

“But one thing I do,” wrote Paul. What was that “one thing”? “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Focused on the goal of Jesus Christ, Paul pressed on. Do we have that kind of single-mindedness? Can we say that we are pressing on toward knowing Christ, and becoming equipped to serve Him with more and more excellence?

Or are our Christian lives cluttered with worldly distractions, cheap thrills, and aspiring idols that can turn our glorious pursuit of the wisdom of Christ into vanity and grasping after the wind?

How can we develop a program of learning that will equip us – like Daniel and Paul – for whatever the Lord wants to do with our lives?

Three guidelines
I want to suggest three general guidelines for charting a lifelong course for searching out the wisdom of God in Jesus.

First, establish some horizons for your learning. Consider the places God has put you and the people you see each week. Each of us travels in a variety of cultural arenas – family, neighborhood, work, church, friends, and so forth. This is your Personal Mission Field, and there is much to learn about bringing the Kingdom of God to bear on these social and cultural arenas. The Bible has much to say about how the wisdom of God should be expressed here.

At the same time, we are involved with many different people each week – some of them believers, some of them not. As followers of Christ, we ought to be teachers for such people. We’ll want to be able to talk with them and serve them, so, in addition to learning excellence in all the cultural arenas of our lives, we’ll need to learn a bit about relating to the specific people in our lives. Thus we may prepare ourselves for teaching them the things of the Lord.

So already you have identified some subject matter areas for more concerted ongoing study into God’s wisdom.

Second, but really first, lay Scripture in the bottom of your studies. Let the Bible be the foundation and touchstone of all your learning. Make sure your daily reading and study shed light on the other horizons of your life. Read, meditate, memorize, study with others – pour yourself into learning the Word of God, so that you will have the light it can give to illuminate the rest of your path and all your learning (Pss. 36.9; 119.105).

Third, keep your purpose in life in focus in all your studies, no matter the subject – the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. We are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ – to follow Him and live for Him. We don’t want our study and learning to leave us, like Solomon, looking at ourselves and admiring all we’ve managed to learn or do. Our calling as disciples – followers of Jesus – must give shape, direction, and wisdom for all our studies, everything we hope to learn. If we can’t fit what we’re learning into the framework of our calling as disciples, then we need to seek help from others, or consider revising our course.

Within the parameters marked out by these three guidelines, determine to become, like Paul, mad to learn as much as you can and, like Daniel, to excel as much as possible in whatever you learn. The burdensome task of learning can become an exhilarating journey of discovery and ministry if we will take this “affliction” seriously and devote ourselves to knowing and serving the Lord.

This is what it means, as Solomon wrote, to set your heart to learn as much as possible in order to live as fully as possible for the Lord. Press on to learn Jesus and your calling to serve Him! Let this “one thing” command your heart, and you will never regret it.

For reflection
1.  How can mapping out your Personal Mission Field help to focus your learning as a follower of Jesus?

2.  What does it mean to lay Scripture in the bottom of all your learning? Does this describe you at this time? Explain.

3.  As you think about your own Personal Mission Field, what areas for more diligent study and learning come to mind?

Next steps – Conversation: What obstacles are preventing you from being a more diligent learner and follower of Christ? How can you overcome these to press on in learning excellence? Talk with your study partner about these questions.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Learning Jesus, is Part 3 of a 5-part series on Following Jesus.Each week’s study is available in a free PDF which you can download by clicking here.

Christians learn best when their learning is framed within a Christian worldview. Our free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, is available any time, and at no charge. Click here to learn more about this helpful and challenging introduction to Christian worldview, presented in 12 diagrams by T. M. Moore.

Take up the challenge of your Personal Mission Field – and do so with a friend. Watch the video on our Mission Partners Outreach for more information about how you can begin to follow Jesus in your Personal Mission Field (click here).

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.