Why Study?

But the people of Beroea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and gladly listened to the message. They searched the Scriptures day by day to check up on Paul and Silas’ statements to see if they were really so. (Acts 17:11, The Living Bible) 

How and why does the Heavenly Father exhort us to search the Scriptures and train ourselves for likeness to his Son?

During the many years we study at school, in our professional training (apprenticeship) and at university, we attend courses to improve our skills and to gain specialized knowledge, all because we want to become more successful. Another reason for studying is because we enjoy discussing and thinking about what we have learned. We read articles and books to gain more wisdom, helpful advice and instruction in many aspects of life─ from health and fitness to sales strategies, finance or politics.

What about gaining wisdom in spiritual matters? When we hear about the possibility of eternal life versus non-existence and eternal unconsciousness? The Master of the universe wants to meet us in Jesus Christ.

Do we just accept it as a nice idea or do we take the time to deepen our knowledge about this revolutionary fact in the same way as we do for our physical livelihood?

This question causes other questions:

• Do we really want to get to know the person who says that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life? Do we want to follow his example?
• Do we wonder what this means to us in today’s society?
• Do we make the effort to interrupt our activities in a fast-paced world in order to create time to study the Word of God?
• Does being an open-minded person also mean to be open to further study and reflection on the reason for our existence?
• Are we motivated to learn more about spiritual things?

Jesus told his audience not to collect worldly treasures on earth (as necessary as they may be) where moths and vermin destroy them, but rather to collect treasures in heaven which cannot be destroyed.

Jesus often referred to passages in the Old Testament when he preached. Are we willing to study these Scriptures and let them work in our minds, to practice an honest, self-reflecting conversation with God and implement his instruction i.e. the Ten Commandments in our daily lives?

The bad news is that our lives are temporary. Certainly, we wonder from time to time where we will go after our physical life. Jean-Jacques Charbonnier, the psychologist, wrote a book about the afterlife. He interviewed people about what they had seen when they had had an out-of-body experience. No one talked about or even mentioned going into total non-existence. They all, however, talked about seeing things of hope.

Scientists and psychologists point more and more to the existence of an invisible world. Can the observations of highly educated doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists as well as God’s exhortation motivate us to dig deeper into spiritual matters and find out more about the promise of eternal life?

Prayer

Lord, we ask you for a clear understanding of eternal values, for more integrity, for the courage to set priorities according to your Word in the busyness and “drivenness” of our lives, that at the end we can say: it was worth it.