Am I a Lifelong Learner?

I walked into the 5^rd grade classroom and read the words: Be a Lifelong learner

 It was one of their 5 core values. Each student was to develop skills, habits, and a desire for learning that would last beyond the classroom.

Though some of what I observe as I substitute in our local public school is not compatible with Scriptural truth, this particular endeavor has strong Scriptural basis. Indeed, the Bible specifically directs women in this very practice .   

 “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.”  1 Tim 2:11

Be a lifelong learner.

(May I invite you to ponder briefly the relevance and application of this command to 21^st century women--to you & me? We'll not look here at the 'how' ["quietly"] or the qualifier ["in all submission"] but first at what women are told to DO:)

Learn. 

 A woman is to learn. “to acquire information or skill, to gain knowledge of a subject”  In this context, specifically to learn spiritual truth, to acquire Biblical knowledge, to know God.

Are you (am I) an ongoing learner? A student of God’s Word? A pursuer of growth in our minds related to our spiritual walk with God?

“Let a woman learn…”

I offer some observations and application of this simple, straightforward directive.

1. If a woman is to learn, she is to put herself in a place to be taught. In attitude she must be teachable (are you willing, actively pursuing opportunities to be taught?) In action she must be disciplined, must do this. (Do I choose & prioritize places that will provide teaching opportunities? From the self study of my own kitchen table to the formal instruction of my pastor’s preaching, from the careful selection of instructive spiritual books to the group accountability of a Bible study, do I put myself in a place to learn?)
2. If a woman is to learn, she must know herself.  One woman takes copious notes, holding herself responsible to go over them on Monday morning.  Another listens with attention riveted to the spoken word on the radio, finding the transcript later so she can look closely at the Scripture. Two friends walk together as they instruct the other on how the lesson from Sunday’s small group impacted them. Another clears a half hour after supper for attention to Scripture, knowing first thing in the morning is brain fog time. Another reads in advance the Sunday sermon Scripture text in a reliable paraphrase so she gets the gist of its message before it is preached. Each demonstrates awareness of productive ways she learns best She knows of her own limitations & assets as a learner so she can best capitalize on strengths & offset weaknesses.  She knows also the ways she takes the easy way out, for equally important is not excusing oneself from venues that aren’t personally appealing, or of self-determining in advance the ‘worth’ of a sermon, lesson or opportunity. How many times might God have desired to teach us something but we brushed the situation aside (dismissing our participation/attention) because we simply didn’t find it appealing?!  Do you know where your propensities to be lazy or rationalize lie?
3. If a woman is to learn, she can’t use ‘how I feel’ as a gauge. “That SS lesson didn’t seem to do anything for me.” “I just don’t connect with that teacher”, “I’m in no mood to learn, so count me out of XXX”, or "I don't want to so I don't need to".   Each of these puts emphasis (and exaggerated worth) on how we feel about our participation in study or learning.  Maybe our personal devotion time is sometimes dry, perhaps the topic of our small group is not personally riveting, at some points the teacher/preacher will not be our favorite. Don’t buy the lie that ‘since I don’t feel it is a good learning fit, it isn’t'.  Truth is power, life, and its intake is promised by God to change us, encourage us, and instruct us. How we feel about it is largely irrelevant.
4. If a woman is to learn, she won’t settle for knowledge that leaves her affections untouched. Learning knowledge about God is not the goal; learning of and relating to God as a result is. J.I. Packer sums it up this way: “If we pursue theological knowledge for its own sake, it is bound to go bad on us. It will make us proud and conceited. To approach Bible study with no higher a motive than a desire to know all the answers, is the direct route to a state of self-satisfied, self deception. …Our aim in studying the Godhead must be to know God himself better. We must seek, in studying about God, to be led to God.” Our goal then is to turn each truth that we learn about God into a matter for meditation before Him. This ought to  lead to prayer, praise, worship and obedience out of hearts that love God above all else. Learning a great deal about God is not at all the same thing as knowing Him.
5. If a woman is to learn, she must be purposeful, practical, and persistent.  Determine that this learning is a priority, and plan it into your routine.  The busy nature of our task-oriented lives will not easily leave open a time of purposeful study. If you are often in places offering good teaching, don't settle into autopilot. Be an active participant and not a passive spectator. (Being there does not equal learning.)  On the other extreme, defuse extended periods of time when you are absent of regular teaching and learning.  If you spend many weekends away at the cabin, what will replace the time of learning (and worship) you typically enjoy on Sundays?  If work cuts into structured opportunities for your learning, where will you replace these in your life? If service to others removes you from the structured times your ‘regular’ or church routine typically gives you to sit under good teaching, take the prerogative to supplement this in another way! 

Don’t be deceived, God does not ‘magically’ grant the fruits of diligent, careful study of His Word to one who doesn’t put in the time and effort just because ‘life has gotten busy and it doesn’t really work right now.' What one sows, one will reap.  Be persistent in your pursuit of learning! The fruits of knowing God are sweet. But they don’t show up miraculously on a Del Monte truck. You must put on a worker hat and go to the grove yourself.

I’m familiar with Facebook, Pinterest, 24/7 online news, and am myself a contributor to the large, vast, (sometimes) wasteland of the blogosphere. Technology provides us with (and engages our time in) many learning opportunities. May we not spend all our time seeking information there and be left wanting in lifelong learning about what really matters. Indeed God's goodness knows that only as we follow His pattern of lifelong learning about Him will our soul be richly satisfied.