One Smart Guy

I think one of the smartest guys in the Bible is the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. Not because he had an intuitive grasp of the Word of God (he didn't), not because he was a eunuch (I am not going there), not because of the ability he had that let him rise to a high position of a court official to the Ethipian queen (although he did). He was smart because of what he did when he met Philip:

³⁰Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

³¹And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Acts 8:30-31 (NASB)

The eunuch knew he didn't understand the Scripture he was reading and invited Philip to teach him. How smart, how wise is it to understand our limitations, our short comings, our deficiencies, our ignorance. How wise is it to be willing to be teachable, and to invite those who can educate and edify us to do so.

None of us fully understands the Word of God, the teachings of Jesus. All of us can stand a little more schooling. How wise it is to seek it out, and when finding it, invite the learning and the learned into our minds so as to invite the Lord more deeply into our hearts.

Teachable Moments

Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight Consider too, that this nation is Your people." And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:13-14 (NASB)

We are teachable at any given moment if we come before the Lord with an attitude of humility and willingness to learn. God wants us to learn and grow closer to Him, God wants us to grow in Him.

And if we come before the Lord, asking to know Him, to know His ways, He will respond to us as He did to Moses in this passage.

He will let us enter His rest.

Learn: To Learn

I thought I would start out with the need to learn how to learn.

We need to be open to new experiences, but in a way that preserves the truth of our past. We should not be afraid that new things are going to shake the bedrock of our beliefs. I do not believe anything I learn going forward will ever shake belief in Jesus as Lord of my life and Savior. Everything flows from that,it is foundational to my worldview,to my thinking about, well everything.

If your beliefs are not that solid in your life, you need to question why.

But a solid belief system should not stop you from pursuing new things, learning new ideas and perspectives. It should lead to growth in and not away from your beliefs, if these beliefs are founded in truth.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

If we are a work in process, should we not expect opportunities of growth to pass before our path? I pursue this kind of growth, as I expect it to keep perfecting me each and every day that I pursue it. And I know I am not smart enough to know the growth until I experience the situation in which to grow in. If it turns out not to be the growth I am seeking, I will reject what does not fit my beliefs in Christ.

Maybe it sounds simple or simplistic, but I find it hard work, but so rewarding when I mine out each nugget of growth.