Learning - How the fool, the sluggard and the wise each respond to it

I work with teenagers a lot. As students, many times they feel that they exist to make school happen. Without them the teachers couldn’t survive and school itself would be pretty boring. Sometimes, Christians feel that they exist to make church relevant and that without them the church just wouldn’t be the same, and it certainly wouldn't accomplish much without them.

School exists for the student, to teach and prepare. The Church exists for the believer, to equip and to grow. In both instances, preparation and growth are the result of teaching and learning. Learning is not something that’s prized too highly these days, yet if we don’t learn we can’t pave the road to our future destinations. Turning a car on isn’t the same as going somewhere. Going to school isn’t the same as learning and going to church isn’t the same as growing and being equipped.

Are you a student? Are you a learner? We should always be students. We should always be learning. Whether at school, at work, at home, at church, etc. learning is essential to preparation, growth and maturity. Learning is a gift we either despise and waste or welcome and use.

We can approach learning in three different ways: The way of the fool, the way of the sluggard or the way of the wise.

It might look like this for each:

The Way of the Fool
The fool thinks he has sufficient knowledge. He knows enough. In reality though, the only thing awaiting his arrogance is disgrace. (Proverbs 3:35)

The fool believes he is self-sufficient, convinced that he needs no one’s advice. (Proverbs 12:15)

The fool trusts in his own knowledge, wisdom and understanding about the present and the future. Inevitably though, he will become the prisoner of foolishness, arrogance, and sorrow. He does not realize that he needs the experience and maturity of others. (Proverbs 28:26)


The Way of the Sluggard
The sluggard wants all the benefits of learning, but despises learning because it’s hard work (Proverbs 13:4)

The sluggard is lazy. As a door is made for hinges, a sluggard is made for a bed. A door only opens and closes and the sluggard only turns from one side of the bed to the next. A door creaks on it’s hinges, the sluggard groans when awoken. He’s too tired to learn and considers sleep (or watching more tv, playing more video games, checking facebook, etc) a better use of his time than learning. (Proverbs 26:14)

The sluggard is too lazy to feed himself; he wants to be fed! (Proverbs 19:24) Because he was too lazy to learn, he won’t get a good job. And if he gets a job, he’ll be too lazy to work hard. And because he won’t work hard for his food, he wants others to bring him food just like he wants others to do his job. Paul says a man who does not work should starve. (2 Thess. 3:10).


The Way of the Wise
The wise son and daughter brings joy to his parents, because they listen to instructions and learn how to follow them. Submission is an attitude of the heart. Learning is submitting to another. Similarly, a wise employee, student, or church member brings joy as they submit in learning what is taught and applying what they learned. (Proverbs 15:20)

The wise increase in learning. (Proverbs 1:5) The hope and expectation is that learning results in knowledge or growth. No one should stunt their own growth by ceasing to learn, but should continuously take joy in learning because they want to grow and mature.

The wise will inherit honor and favor because they are diligent and faithful students. Parents, teachers, employers, pastors and God all notice when someone is pursuing growth and making every effort to learn. This results in trust, honor and blessing towards the student. (Proverbs 3:35)


In which of the three ways do you approach learning?

I heard a pastor say, “What you know is not enough.” It is true of all of us. Learning is recognizing that someone else knows more than you. Some stop asking questions of their parents, teachers, older friends and pastors. We should not ever think that they can’t teach us anything. That attitude is not an honoring one, but a dis-honoring one. This will translate over to God. Receive the gift of learning and use it for God’s glory. It will bring you joy and good to others around you.

His promise is His intercession

About a year and half ago, my youngest son broke his leg. He was then only three and a half, and I remember, vividly, his cry for help. I remember that every time he cried, I cried. Every time he called for help, I called for help. And though my cry was simultaneous with his, there was nothing I could do for him.

In Luke 22:28-30, Jesus promises his disciples a place in His coming kingdom. He has promised them a place with him, forever. This is great news in the disciple’s ears! For Peter, though, the very next words are not so great. Or are they? Jesus tells the disciples that Satan is seeking to eclipse their faith. He wants to destroy their faith by sifting them or testing them. But Jesus turns to Peter and says, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” (Luke 22:31-32) Peter turns to Jesus and proudly proclaims that he would die for him. (Luke 22:33) Shortly thereafter Peter would deny him. (Luke 22:61-62) So, here’s a question? If Peter failed, did Jesus‘ prayer for Peter fail? To answer, we must look again at what Jesus said. After telling Peter he had prayed for him, he says, “And when you have turned again strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32) Jesus knew Peter was going to deny him, but Jesus also knew that Peter was going to turn back to him. How did He know? Because He had prayed for Peter. Jesus was certain his prayer had been heard and would be answered, and it was. So though Peter failed Jesus, we know Jesus did not fail Peter.

Jesus does not fail us either. Because of His death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus intercedes for us right now before the throne of God. While we know that darkness will come and we will stumble and fall, our faith will not be eclipsed nor destroyed, but be made brighter and stronger. This is an amazing truth! We rightly say that we pray to God. But do we believe that God himself intercedes for us through Jesus Christ? Furthermore, that Jesus Christ does not come before the Father as a poor beggar, but rather as an enthroned king? We are not alone in our faith! So many understand that God gives us grace, but so few understand the glorious reality that He does so because Jesus intercedes on our behalf. This is meant to give us unshakeable assurance, since the Father always says yes to the Son. “Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34) While I was unable to help my son, Jesus is more than able to help me. I cry to the Father by the Holy Spirit, "Give me strength!" and Jesus simultaneously intercedes on my behalf to the Father, "Give him strength!"

As Peter was weeping because he had denied Jesus (Luke 22:61-62), and as his faith was being sifted, Jesus’ words, “I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail”, were being fulfilled. Maybe Peter held on to these words as he wept bitterly. He would be strengthened and established in his faith. He would turn again. He would strengthen the faith of the other disciples and go on to preach the good news of Jesus Christ until his death. It was then that he entered a heavenly kingdom. His faith had not failed. Why? Because Jesus had been praying for him. This same Jesus, is our Savior. This same Jesus, intercedes for us, praying that our faith would not fail. So take courage and find hope. A heavenly kingdom awaits. His promise is His intercession until that day.

Be a servant in your work, not to your work

Too often, we’re overwhelmed by all the things we feel that we need to be doing for God. There’s marriage and family, work and rest, church and community, Bible and prayer, evangelism and serving, faithfulness and stewardship, studying and learning, etc. The list goes on and on, and with it our frustrations grow bigger and louder! The tendency is to feel that we're either not doing enough or that what we have done was not good enough. Because of this tendency, God has needed to remind me countless times that I am a servant IN my work for Him and not a servant TO my work for Him.

This is an important distinction to make. If we feel that we cannot do enough for God or that it’s not all being done in a particular way, then things are reversed. Take a step back and recognize that you serve him with the time that you have, not the time that you don't. You serve him in the things that you can do, not the things that you can't. There isn't any guilt for the time we don't have or the things we can't do. Be faithful today with what He's given you. It may mean only one good conversation with your wife, a hug good night for your kids, and one chapter in your Bible or that book. Let your heart serve Him in those small ways and not despise those small ways because they're not enough.

As it pertains to families, we need to be extra careful that we not begin to feel that our spouse and/or children are "stealing" our time away from God, our Bible, and other spiritual things. We should not get frustrated when we have to stop doing something for God because we need to go serve the people God has given to us.

Be a servant IN your work for God and not a servant TO your work for God.