Are You Sick of School?
If you're an adult, it feels like the classroom of life never ends. But don't lose sight of what God is doing in your life through the process.
With the shift towards fall comes for many of us the weight of school. If you're like me, you've put your classroom days in your rearview mirror, and your focus has shifted to your kids.
Because Janan has a background in Elementary Education, we opted for homeschooling, which gives me a front-row seat to many questions on subjects like math, reading, and history. Even though I don't say it, I look back on how much time I spent in school, and whenever I hear complaints, part of me says internally, "Kids, you have no idea."
Life is a bit like this. Even outside of school walls, we’re constantly learning about God, about ourselves, and about how to love others well. Whether you’re a student with a backpack, a parent juggling schedules, or simply someone navigating daily responsibilities, we’re all sitting in God’s classroom, learning lessons designed to shape us into who he created us to be.
Lessons I Learn in School
Looking back on several decades of education, there were many lessons I could list, but for brevity's sake, I'll give you three.
Lesson #1: Your Mindset Matters More Than Your Grade. After graduating, I recall asking one of my teachers if he ever remembered the grades he had given his students. "Not so much," he replied, "But I do remember attitudes." That always stuck with me.
When you're in the middle of school, it's hard to think of anything except your grade, and it's not until you get out that you realize the true value of education is in how it shapes your thought process and molds your mindset. The same is true in life. It's often after we go through a hard time that we realize the value of what God did in us through the process.
Lesson #2: The Hardest Classes Are Always the Best. I hated Statistics. I very much did not enjoy my class on the Pentateuch. And I wasn't a natural student of Greek I, let alone Greek II. But you know what? These were some of my most formative. Statistics developed my critical thinking, Pentateuch challenged me to become a better writer, and Greek stretched my mindset.
Sometimes life's classes come in the form of depression, a tough transition, and relational breakdowns. But it's these same moments God uses to forge our character.
Lesson #3: The Education Journey Never Stops. Even after graduation, you're always growing, always expanding, always learning.
Life is much the same, and the longer you live, the more you realize the more you know, you realize the less you know.
So All May See Your Progress
If you're like me, sometimes you're discouraged with how much you have to learn and how much more character development needs to take place to become more like Jesus.
Several years ago, I was struggling with feelings of doubt and frustration over making the same mistakes. That's when I recalled Paul's words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:14-16:
14 Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.
The word translated as "progress" is from the Greek term "prokope." At its root, it comes from pro (forward) and kopto (to cut, strike, or advance by cutting a way). The picture is of blazing a trail, like soldiers or travelers cutting through underbrush to make a path.
For Timothy, “progress” isn’t just about personal spiritual improvement in a private sense, but a visible, steady advancement in maturity, teaching, and effectiveness that others can recognize. Paul is essentially saying: keep cutting a path of faithful ministry and godliness so that everyone can see your forward movement in Christ.
Today, it's quite possible you're feeling a bit like my kids and wish you could move past the classroom phase of life and on to some type of perfection. You're tired of the struggle, tired of the pain. You beat yourself up when you make mistakes, and wish for it all to end.
But if this is where you're at today, I challenge you to meditate on Paul's words and shift your focus. Allow God to use even the slow, frustrating, and downright painful times of your life to not only refine your internal character but also serve as a testament of God's goodness to others.
