Depending on the age you are, these words invoke different responses. Anywhere from a gag response to dancing in the streets and thanking Jesus! No matter our response, the truth is another school year has begun. Teachers, books, friends, bullies, smells of the mystery meat for lunch, the flavor of pastes as it crosses over your tongue. Ok, maybe not the last one. Students, of whatever age, go to school for one reason (or at least you should) and that is to learn. To grow mentally. The old saying goes "You never are too old to learn something." Hopefully this year our students will exceed even the teachers expectations in learning.

As I dropped off my kids for their first day of public school today (yes, we have homeschooled them until high school and now we have put them into public school) I got to thinking. You know, I hope that what they learn will not just stay within those walls of brick and mortar. I trust that what they learn will stay with them and continue to be the foundation pieces they use to build an even better education throughout life. To go and spend all that time behind a desk and not actually use it for later in life is such a waste. Maybe that's why my dad would say when I was screwing around with homework, "I buy you books, send you to school and all you do is chew the covers off!" Our education is not just for now, and not just to graduate, it's to use later on in life. To build upon.

You know, the greatest education we can gain in life is from the Bible. Whether it is us reading it or if it is by someone (pastor/teacher) explaining it to us. We have such a treasure in our hands as we hold the words that God has spoken to us. A treasure that is not to be only used on Sunday mornings as we sit in the chair and listen to someone talk. An education that is squandered if we have our devotional/Bible time just so we can say we did it. A resource of growth that is wasted if we hear the words and never act on them. Our time with Jesus is a time that is to be put to use. Put into action. Used as a foundation for later, as well as for now.

We were never called to be students of the Word just so we could say we are students. Not even so we can say we graduated. And certainly not so we could just be proud of how much we know and keep it to ourselves. We are students of the Word of God so that we might grow as followers of Christ, and so that we might go and make disciples (other followers of Jesus) with what we have learned.

Our challenges for today are this:

Start learning if you aren't already. Spend time with Jesus (read the Bible, pray, listen, worship) so that you will grow. Need some help of where to start, try this great resource .

THEN

Go and tell someone what you learned today. Live it out in our actions, emotions, responses and motives. Use the words that God has given us to use. Use the words that we just learned today in our time with Jesus.

What are the challenges that you may face in using your 'education'?

How are you already doing it? I would love to hear how it's going!