8 years after High-School
I have never professed to be the brightest bulb in the bunch. A glass half-full approach might say, “I’m as bright as a dim bulb gets.” The first step in growing is admitting what you know to be true about yourself. This gives you a place to start if you’re going to improve in any area of your life. Now, as I said, I am not the brightest bulb in the bunch and it wasn’t until 8 years after high school that I got my first “report card” that had straight A’s. Yes, my final year of seminary I got all A’s and knowing myself it made me chuckle.
The majority of us probably had parents that preached to us, “You need to study hard. You need to apply yourself as it relates to your studies.” I heard this throughout high school. Hearing it and actually changing anything about myself are two different things. I preferred sports, leisure, and a host of other things much more than I preferred to “apply” myself. Yes, it wasn’t until 8 years after high school that it finally clicked and I thought, “Man, college and seminary would have probably been much easier had I learned to apply myself in high school.”
Do you have lessons like this from your life? Lessons where you heard the wisdom over and over again and never truly embraced it. Lessons where wisdom invited you to take hold of her and you danced with her sister (foolishness). Are there lessons like these that are continuing to speak to you today and you remain on the comfortable and familiar path? Let’s see, here is one of those tests for each of us.
The Word of God has power. The Savior invites you to meet with Him regularly. The Savior desires to “know” you and to be “known” by you. Scripture provides fuel for living and insights for the choices in life. Avoiding train wrecks in life can be drastically improved with God’s wisdom. You know this, right? So, since you are aware of this it has led you to be in God’s Word regularly, yes? Or, has the voice and invitation of the Lord Jesus somehow morphed into your mother’s voice saying, “Son, it would be a much more fulfilling road if you only applied yourself.” Hmm, what timeless advice are we still too stubborn to embrace?
Think about it. Pray about it. Accept the Savior’s invitation.
