“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 3:14-15 NIV
Learning is a part of life that is involuntary. It is the receipt of information by using our senses of seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting. For some who lack any of these, the remaining senses tend to heighten its ability in order to compensate for the imbalance. Through our senses we develop concepts which need a basis that has been tested and proven through experience backed by testimony and wise counsel in order to become accepted as a real belief in our lives.
To remain in the initial stages of our learning, which is our senses, means that we go through life basing our thoughts and actions only on received feelings that stimulates our initial thoughts. That is a dangerous place to be in because it forces us to believe something that we’ve immediately formed an idea on and causes us to act on it as we see fit with no advice from anyone else who can validate the information we’ve learned/received from our senses. Remaining in this place is what the Bible describes as a fool.
The Bible is very straight forward, precise and spares no firmness of tone to get its message across directly when it comes to counsel, wisdom, and instruction. These are just a few scriptures for reference:
“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.”
Proverbs 19:20 NIV
“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”
Proverbs 28:26 ESV
“Through pride and presumption come nothing but strife, But [skillful and godly] wisdom is with those who welcome [well-advised] counsel.”
Proverbs 13:10 AMP
“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.”
Proverbs 12:15-16 NIV
We all have experienced moments where we’ve acted impulsively unwise. That doesn’t make us fools, just foolish. Because of the Holy Spirit that resides in us we do not remain in that place. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are…”
1 John 3:9-10 NIV
We cannot control what we learn because the information we will receive throughout life is vast and unending. Neither can we control our concept in which we try to understand what we observe or experience. What we do have control over is the formation of our basis that lays the foundation of Truth through the resources and tools that God has given us to edify our life and the body of Christ. As you do so, “see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”
Colossians 2:8 NIV
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
James 1:4-5 NIV
Allow your concepts to be shaped and matured through your basis in Christ.
Be Blessed,
G.M.
G.M. Sunshine 