EDUCATION

1Samuel 12:23,24—As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.

Moses was a highly educated man, taught by the finest scholars of Egypt. But with all his knowledge he tried to fix the injustices he observed through his own strength and God had to place him with shepherds, stripped of all that was familiar until a burning bush captured his eyes. Then he listened to God’s voice.

Saul was taught by the brilliant Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was a rising star in the Jewish religious community. But his razor-sharp, zealous mind led him to persecute any who followed Jesus until the Son of God blinded his eyes and gave his heart time to ponder.

Lips of every variety bemoan the state of education in our land. The cry of the people is that we need more money, better teachers, better facilities, and better accountability for the intellectual growth of our children. No matter what the problem is, education is the proposed cure. But what kinds of people emerge from schooling where morality is seldom taught, history is conveniently reinterpreted, and discipline is a bad word?

I’m not against education. I have been blessed to attend outstanding schools and to learn from wise teachers. But we must be careful not to make the means the end. God is a great promoter of education (Deuteronomy 4:9,10). His directive is that we learn His words. So we cannot teach God in our public schools. Learning is not limited to buildings with mascots surrounded by yellow buses. If we neglect the responsibility of devoting ourselves to instructing our children under the umbrella of God’s word trusting that what they learn in schools will be sufficient to help them later are we not misguided? Every chance we get we ought to instill in our children truth that will help them grow! Education apart from God preaches the totality of man and what he is able to accomplish. Education that looks to God recognizes that without Him we are nothing.

When Saul the scholar became Paul the Apostle God did not remove his brain. He transformed his heart. When our eyes are on God, what we learn has the taste of life. When our eyes are on amassing knowledge, as were the eyes of Solomon, the wisest man on earth, we are left to conclude with him, "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is Meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 12:8). Solomon challenges us with what matters in Ecc.12:13. "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

Inspiration

What fills the eye fills the heart.—Celtic Proverb