Pastor’s Corner: Understanding and Education

By Elder Gerald DeForest Tyler

Yes, it’s that time of year once again for our children – return to school time. Let me quickly say don’t fret nor regret it. Acquiring a “good quality education” will serve you quite well throughout your lifetime. I yet believe that a good education is the foundation, backbone, and springboard for most of the success that we will have and the good that we will do in this life.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 4:1, 5-7 to get understanding. It actually says this, “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” So you see, it’s very important to get understanding.

“Understanding and Education” are inseparable and are woven and tied together like a fabric to help make us better individuals intellectually and more successful in our chosen life’s endeavors and practices. Possessing wisdom, knowledge, and understanding serves people well both in the spiritual and secular realm. Those who lack wisdom and trust God should ask him for it and he will bless them with it. “For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

The Bible also says that, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8).

People who are knowledgeable, having acquired a good education along with a great understanding, usually make wise, sound, and beneficial decisions in life. I’m probably failing to some extent, but what I’m really attempting to do here in this column is stress the importance of getting a very good education. For in doing so, you will most certainly benefit greatly during the rest of your life. Therefore, I stress to my younger readers most especially, don’t fret about going back to school this month. I strongly encourage you to apply yourselves diligently and study so that you can acquire the best education possible while you’re yet young. Don’t miss out on getting a good quality education right now and then later on in life look back on it all with tremendous regret. The acquisition of a great education, coupled with understanding, will carry you far in life.

The Bible speaks an awful lot about wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (education in this case) for good reason. It also says that fools who hate knowledge, and did not choose to fear, love, trust, nor reverence God will suffer negative consequences and even possibly be destroyed. So hopefully, you realize the very importance of “Understanding and Education.” All the best to you as you return to school this academic year! “Grace and mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied!”

Gerald D. Tyler, an ordained elder with senior pastoral experience, has been a God-called practicing minister since 1977 teaching and preaching the salvation gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.