The Journey in Christ

Hey all,

I think I'm going to start up a new blog for posts like these, and them out from my book postings (Which have only happened once, I know). I'll be sure to let you know what the new blog is called if you're interested in following it...

Anyways...

Sometimes I wonder if the analogy of life being a journey is overused. But I suppose it is used so much because it describes life so very well. This journey I’ve been on has been incredible so far. Not only in the life that God has given me with a family that I do not deserve, which deserves countless thoughts and posts of thankfulness, but in my journey to be ever expanding in the knowledge, and more importantly wisdom, of my Lord Jesus Christ.

What is frustrating about this journey is that the end (There really is no end to seeking God’s knowledge and wisdom, I just use the word for the sake of the thought) seems to propel itself farther away everyday.  A professor, Doctor, and overall brilliant man at LCU once told a class that I was in that “The higher the level of a degree I obtained, the more I realized that I didn’t know anything about my subject matter”.   I can’t say that I fully understand what he meant, simply because I have not obtained a doctorate degree yet, (though it is my intention to do so), however I believe that I can see the beginning glimpses of what he meant by it.

Over the course of pursuing my undergraduate degree, I have been challenged to consider many different opinions and theological ideas that have challenged many of my presuppositions.  Some I have accepted as truth, others I have rejected. That isn’t necessarily the point though; the point is that I was given the chance to be exposed to them in the first place! If I were given the opportunity to compare my thought processes of how I processed scripture and concepts of God from when I was freshly graduated from High-school, and then now, just about to graduate from College, There would most likely be a Grand Canyon sized gap between the two, and so there should be! If there wasn’t, than it would be to my shame…

The point is that I reflect on the me fresh out of high-school and realize that yes; I really didn’t know much of anything… And that makes me thankful for the education I’m blessed with receiving. Looking between then and now, and what lies ahead, it is very easy to see the truth in that professors words. I really don’t know much of anything. The ending mark (which doesn’t actually exist as I mentioned) of being fully educated or prepared in knowledge continuously sprints away from me faster than I could ever keep up. Every so often there will be a period of time where I can get a great feeling of accomplishment in the things that I know, especially when I can see them coming out of me in a practical way. Not in an attempt to be boastful, but it’s very gratifying to know that you are growing. But, every time these plateaus seem to come, it’s not long before something happens to cause you to realize yet again that you don’t have every answer, and there are things that you have never even considered that now demand your attention.

I mentioned that this is a frustration, and it is. However, it is a double edged weapon in the sense that while it can be frustrating, maddening, or disheartening that there is so much I don’t know, it is also the driving force that pushes me on to learn all the more. I don’t think that we’re allowed as Christians to look at our current knowledge of scripture, God, and His message and say “that’s enough, I know enough now”. We should be constantly pushing forward in the quest to know more…

However, this I fully believe: it is not only about acquiring knowledge. What is the point of being knowledgeable and having no wisdom in which to implement the knowledge? Going to God for His wisdom is perhaps one of the most noble things we can do in my opinion, and God can take what little knowledge we have and then show us how to implement it into our lives and use it practically. We cannot know it all! But with God we can use what we know, which is eternally more important.

So where is this going, you might ask? I don’t know…Perhaps it was just a need to express a feeling and put it on paper….er…screen, I should say. However, it brings me to this last little analogy I suppose.

If you had a steak the size of 747 aircraft, perfectly cooked and seasoned with just the right spices to satisfy your craving appetite, and you’ve been given the task of eating as much of this steak as possible, what would you do? You’d probably get together with a whole bunch of people who’ve been given the same task and start going at that beast of a steak, one bite at a time. There is no way that you could finish it on your own, and maybe even with your group of friends you won’t get it all finished. But you’ll surely be able to make your mark on it, and in the process you are being fed and nourished by that steak as you work on it. And you can compare what you taste with others, discussing how you like the flavor, spices, doneness, and any other aspect of the steak that you want. Some will disagree with others, but that’s just how it is. At the end of the day you’ve done everything you can on it, and though you surely haven’t finished it you have done everything that you could with the task you were given.

Perhaps this journey of acquiring Godly knowledge and wisdom is a little like that. I’m about to graduate from College, I could probably call that bite number two. After my Masters degree is complete (If it is in God’s will), maybe that will be bites three and four. After my Doctorate (once again, God willing)? Maybe bites five, six, and seven, who knows? There will still be plenty of steak after to work on for the rest of my life, I know that much. Hmm….and I like the sound of that.

This is right up my alley. Time for dinner everyone. J