There is also dread because so many things have to be done and attended to before the kids are ready for that fateful first-day-back-in-class. School physicals, school supply shopping and the ever-stress-producing task of buying school clothes make that first day of school loom large on our calendars.
Yes, it was a stressful time in my life.
But no more. My youngest graduated from her school days about five years ago.
It's kind of sad, really, because I really love buying school supplies.
I just suddenly realized that for the Christian, there is no such thing as back to school, because we should always be studying.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Paul entreats us to be a worker in knowing the scriptures. In fact, we want to be such a worker that God will approve our efforts. The word Paul uses for study means with ceaseless, serious, earnest zeal. We are called to study unceasingly!
I wonder how many of us take that admonition seriously? Do we study as much as we would when were in school cramming for that final?
We always made sure to have the right study tools when we were receiving formal education. Homework time was a priority for the successful student. Yet, so many of us don't worry about studying scripture. Why, we barely even glance at our Sunday School lessons before class.
That is, if we even bother to go to Sunday School ... (that's a subject for another post on another day.)
I don't know about you, but I don't want to stand before God someday and have to answer why I didn't take studying seriously.
So, while I may not have to prepare for back to school anymore for my kids, I want to make plans, and follow through, on studying the single most important thing I will ever need to know -- His Word.
Do you still prepare for back to school? What is the most important thing you do for study?
I'm sharing this post with the community at The Loft.
I'm also sharing at Grace & Truth with Arabah Joy and #FreshMarketFriday with Crystal.
Excellent post but here in the Northeast we don't go back to school until the Wed/Thursday after Labor day!!! So we are definitely still in summer vacation mode. ANd I'm glad...i am SOOO not ready to go back to working in the classroom :)
ReplyDeleteBUt..this is great...I view my time in the Word as study most times but more often than when i was a younger Christian, I now view my time as an intimate relationship building time with the Lover of my Soul. Study implies work to me and now I'm jus craving time with my Savior. To grow, we need to put effort into that time.....and i love it. I have to be more intentional about it once the school year gets here as my morning time is limited. So i carve out afternoon time, after school but before dinner prep and i find that makes all the difference. Currently I am "studying" the PSalms. LOVE all the psalms.
Good perspective, Jerralea! We're called to a continued study of God's Word, no matter what season we're in. Thanks for this gentle reminder this morning. Our learning, our growing in faith is never done ...
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
You make an important point. It's so easy to find ourselves "too busy" to earnestly study the Word, but just peeking into it when we think we have time is not enough to keep us loving Jesus and growing in our relationship with him! Good word.
ReplyDeleteBeen steadily reading the Bible for over 10 years now (hit and miss before then) and I still am learning new things almost daily, especially if something catches my eye that I want to study a bit more about. Good to definitely stay in the Word on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteKids go back to school here on Monday. I would imagine the stores will be busy between now and then with people frantically getting the supplies that are needed.
betty
Now that I am "out of school", I find that I am just a natural student. These days, my textbook is God's Word, and what a blessing it is to study it!
ReplyDeleteAs for buying those school supplies, we have a school supply drive at our church each summer, to collect those very expensive school supplies for needy children. Satisfies the urge to go buy fresh pencils and paper. ;)
And, yes, as I mentioned in my blog today, our students returned to class this week!
I loved how you related back to school with our need to study God's Word, Jerralea. As you know, I'm in the process of getting my kids (and my mind) ready for back to school but even so, I'm spending the last couple of weeks helping them develop their devotional time with the Lord. Although they're in elementary school I want to help them create a habit of meeting with the Lord first thing each day. Please pray for us as parents to lead by example and be consistent in training them up in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteMuch love and hugs,
Marva | sunSPARKLEshine
What better place than The Loft to emphasize the importance of digging into the Word as a true student. We never graduate from the school of learning to be approved unto God!
ReplyDeleteI share your heart for loving school supply time with my kids! So much fun and exciting to share their enthusiasm for a new year of learning. And, I love the challenge of keeping our own souls sharpened in the study of God's word. Because I have never grown out of school supplies, I still buy new ones and new journals, etc to make my time with God something to plan and look forward to:)
ReplyDelete