MY JOURNAL ENTRY FOR TODAY:

October 13, 2005

I heard people – both who were presently in seminary or who finished seminary – say to me: “Be careful when you go to school. Make sure to reserve some time everyday away from your theological studies so you can spend time with the Lord so you won’t become unspiritual.” While these dear people are sincere in their advice, unfortunately, there’s a faulty assumption that has become underlain with such thinking. And that is this: that somehow intellectual pursuits of God automatically will tend one towards becoming less spiritual. Granted, the Scriptures do say that knowledge puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1). But attaining it doesn’t have to lead to a hardness of heart. On the contrary, as I try to contemplate the greatness and grandeur of the Lord Almighty through my academic studies, I CAN’T HELP but fall to my knees in wonder and amazement of how awesome He is! Intellectual study, if we approach it correctly, can make us become more worshipful of the King of Kings! Theological study should lead to worship which might entail me popping in a CD and singing to Him, or it might involve going out and sharing with a complete stranger on High Street next to OSU, or it might involve mowing my neighbors grass. I have done all of these things before, 2 of which I just did today. But not only do these things qualify as worship; I may also choose to worship Him by picking back up my big, thick, difficult-to-read at times, heady theological book and re-engage in the necessary discipline of further study in order to make myself better equipped (2 Timothy 3:16), allowing His glory to transform me, chiseling me into a sharper, more finely-tuned instrument in my Master’s hands, for His wonderful purposes and pleasure! By His Grace, may He always be glorified through my life!

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

Amen.