May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit
of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise
of God.
I’m a life-long learner.
I confess, I didn’t like school. Elementary school was okay,
but by the time I reached junior high and high school, I wasn’t a fan. Not
being a social butterfly, I was quiet and everything kind of overwhelmed me. I
did like having friends and going to basketball games, but I preferred to stay
home and read or wander outside.
The funny thing is, I loved learning and I still do. After
high school, I attended college for two years, but it took me until I was
forty-eight years old to complete my bachelor’s degree. In the meantime,
ironically, I worked in education. In the library of the elementary school and
in a college library, I encouraged students to read and learn.
Even though I wasn’t a fan of school, I loved gathering
knowledge and wisdom, and I do believe school is extremely important. As I tell
my grandchildren, whether you enjoy school or not, you need to do your best.
The apostle Paul is writing to the Philippian church and
reminding them to keep learning. He prayed they would grow in knowledge and
insight. Knowledge of God’s word and insight into the people God called them to
love. He encouraged the people to discern or consider what was best when it
came to loving people as Jesus loved them, and he reminded them they would grow
in the fruit or righteousness, or the fruit of the Spirit.
God wants me to keep learning and use what I learn to love
people better. As I seek the truth in His word, I grow in His love for other
people. As a result, I glorify my heavenly Father through my actions.
Are you learning more about Jesus every day?
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.
I wasn't fond of
school, but I enjoyed the process of discovering new and interesting things. Even
as a child, I challenged myself to study the Little Golden Guides to identify butterflies and flowers. Recently,
I found a couple of these timely little books in one of the local park shops. I
bought them for nostalgic reasons, plus I still enjoy identifying God's
creatures. The fields and woods that surrounded my childhood home offered a
fascinating classroom for my curious mind. I'd trudge through the field looking
for insects, especially butterflies. Along with my love of nature, I enjoyed
arts and crafts. I embroidered and sewed from a young age then as an adult I've
added quilting and needle felting to my repertoire.