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Back to school

Back to school

Back to school

This has been a big week in the Murphy household, the first week back at school! It’s been a long time since the learning in Scottish schools stopped. The learning itself went on, in homes across the country parents learned how to use phones and computers to teach their children, but the step towards normality is a welcome one.

Learning is important for all of us. Not just children at school or young people at college or university, we are all designed to learn and to grow.

When we come to faith in Christ we are born again (John 3:3), spiritual babies beginning a journey of life-long learning.

 I’m a fan of Sam Gordon’s ministry and of its slogan; “Truth for Today” it reminds me that I am called to be learning the truth of God’s Word and learning how that truth applies to my life today with all of the challenges, blessings and opportunities that I have at any given time.

One of the most dangerous things we can do as believers is to allow ourselves to think we know enough, to think we are fully grown, to think that we have arrived at our destination. 

‘One thing I do’ says Paul ‘forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’

Phil 3:13-14

God’s people have always been learners:

‘Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.’

  Deuteronomy 11:18-21

We learn from the written word, and we learn from the Living Word. Jesus is our Lord and our Saviour. He is also our Teacher. As pupils Katie and Grace will learn information from their teachers, maybe even some life-skills, but they will not learn how to be like their teacher. The goal of the disciple however is not just to learn information or skills from the Teacher, but to learn to live like Him. 

As those who have been so loved, are we learning to love? As those who have been forgiven much, are we learning to forgive much? As those who have been greatly blessed by the grace and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, are we learning to be men and women sent into the world full of grace and truth in His Name?

I pray we would keep learning, growing and maturing, for our joy in Jesus and for his glory in our lives,

Amen.