We live in an era where continuous learning is essential to keep up with your job. You also need continuous learning in order to grow spiritually. I have thought a lot about study and learning, but Jon Swanson wrote something yesterday that woke me up. “You learn in order to do.”
When Jesus was tempted after fasting and praying for 40 days in the wilderness, he met each of the three temptations with a quotation from Scripture. He was hungry (probably almost starved), and the Temptor suggested that he turn the rocks into bread. Now, he could have done that. After all, he turned 5 loaves of bread into dinner for 5,000. But he just replied God says you cannot live by bread alone. He didn’t just know Scripture, he practiced it.
We all know people who are “book smart.” Engineers were famous for that in manufacturing when I started working there. They could work all manner of formulae, tell you about strength of materials with math, but didn’t always know just which alloy of aluminum would be best for an application. Or they could design a part only to discover that it was impossible to machine that part.
I guess I fear being book smart about the Bible and then getting caught not practicing it.
