So much more and more we are asking the question in ministry if education is important. I cant count on fingers and toes the amount of times in my life I have heard someone say, "Paul didnt go to seminary so neither will I!" This argument and many others are so heretical.
The Bible teaches educating ourselves in scriptures are important to our walk with Christ. This doesnt mean that we should all go to Bible college and to seminary but that we all should be well versed and educated in the Bible. In any other job or career, we are expected to know what we are talking about and to be "trained" in what we do. It would be foolish for me to walk onto a job and attempt to do my job with no training. As a matter of fact it would be unacceptable and I would be fired before I ever started.
In staff meeting this week Mark did a devotion on 1 Corinthians 9:24. Most all know this but in case you didnt, Paul is talking about the Isthmian Games and compares them to the Christian life. He talks about running the race and running it to win. In order to win it takes months and months of training. In that training comes choices and some of them harder than others. Take for example, right now I am trying to get back in shape. I am working out every weekday morning and I have to be very disciplined to do so. I could eat a huge burger every day ( like I want to ) or i could stick with tuna or fruit. One is much more desirable than the other, but the choice for me to win has to be the healthier one. If I am constantly taking bad choices I will surely disqualify myself from the competition.
You see my fear is that we as Christians are showing up on race day with no training and we are so out of shape we cant even complete the first leg. It takes determination and desire to finish the race. You cant be a halfway Christian just like you cant be a halfway marathon runner. As the body of Christ and for myself I want us to be running to win and putting our blinders up so that all we see is the crown. Keep your eyes on the prize!
In Christ
TJ Earl
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