What an exciting Monday it has been for our family! Freshly sharpened pencils and crisp new notebooks were all laid out for our first day of school. No sooner did the books crack open and the assignments begin for Math and Latin, when we joined our friends at the park to watch the solar eclipse. What a privilege to have such opportunities for learning!
But can I be honest with you? I haven’t always been enthusiastic about education. Prior to college, I was one of those students who never seemed to work to my potential, even when encouraged by my teachers. I just wasn’t smart enough is what I told myself, plain and simple. As I grew older, I decided that when I finally mastered a concept, I had arrived. Continued education would not be beneficial in that area. I mean, why teach an old dog new tricks, right?
From each of the positions I described, I now see that the true challenge was with my heart. I struggled with respecting my teachers’ words to apply myself and then, struggled with pride about the need to learn anything further.
What a vast difference though when reading about Jesus as a boy at the temple. Luke 2:46-47 state, “they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.”
As my children and I meditated on these words this morning, we decided that having Jesus’ attitude would help each of us have a successful academic year. He was respectful to those He was engaged in discussion with and He was also, gentle and humble. Being that He was Jesus, the Son of God, He could have easily been an arrogant twelve year old and “schooled” those folks at the temple. However, that is not the example our Savior set as a boy or even as an adult. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus said “… learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart”.
May God help each of us today to embrace acquiring wisdom and understanding with the mind of Christ. Whether at school or work or in life, join me in asking God for help to have a softened heart to grow as He desires us to.
~Joyce
