Thursday, June 5, 2014

The School Where Nobody Ever Graduates

Graduation.  It's that time of year when guys and girls all around our great land walk the stage and get their diploma.  And it's a thrill for them and their parents.

I'm sitting here this morning thinking about something my late grandfather, Leon Richardson, once told me.  We were visiting in his home one day in Sumter, South Carolina, when he looked at me and said, "David, there are no graduates in the school of Christ.  There never comes a time in your life when you know it all about The Lord and have it all figured out."

He was so right!

After we meet certain criteria and reach certain goals, academic institutions basically tell us, "Ok, you're done.  We expect nothing more of you.  So you're free to leave now with our blessings."

But Our Lord doesn't operate like that.  There's always more for us to learn and more for us to do.  He never looks at us and says, "Wow, you've got the Christian life mastered and down pat!  There's nothing more for me to teach you."  Nope, that just will not happen.

When it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ, there is always

more truth to learn

more character to develop

more bonding to experience

more areas to serve

and more growing to do.

We Christians are works in progress.  As long as we have breath in our bodies, school's in session.  And that's a great thing!  It means God lovingly and patiently works with us day in and day out.  It proves He cares.

Let's stay humble, Christians.  We all have more learning and growing to experience.  None of us have this spiritual life totally figured out.

And let's stay hungry for growth.  We need time in Bible study, prayer, and worship.  God matures and develops us more fully when we engage in the Christian disciplines.

Grandaddy was right.  Our Lord's school does not hand out diplomas and send us away on our own.  And that's a good thing.  It's just one more way He reminds us how much we truly matter to Him.

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