SCHOOL'S OUT
My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live Him. You're deeply rooted in Him. You're well constructed upon Him. You know your way around the faith... School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. (Col. 2:6&7 The Message)
Personally, I was never a big fan of school. I did not hate it, but I was more than happy to be done with college, and get on with life. After all, school was out. Of course it was a bit difficult when I would drive by the college campus and realize that days of loafing around the campus were over. Even that did not make me long to go back to school. There are some people who like school so much that they are literally professional students, but for most, that is not an option.
I also want to admit that I very seldom put any more effort into school than I had to in order to get the grades that would keep me in good graces at home! I am happy to say that my effort level changed once I entered Jesus School. I suddenly found something that I wanted to study continually and I did. My experience was that the more I studied, the more I enjoyed Him and as a result His ways influenced my ways. So when it comes to God, school is out, but being a student of His ways can never stop.
It would seem that Paul was addressing the same problem that exists with today’s church, in that many people just keep spending a little time in school, but never really apply it to their lives. As a result, they do not enjoy the life that God intends for them to enjoy and it never spills over in thanksgiving because they do not see anything to be truly thankful for. As a result, no one around them experiences the fruit that should come from people in whom Christ dwells.
When my son recently graduated from Ranger Training my thought would have been with all the effort that went into it, he would have a little time to recover. I was wrong. School was out and within 48 hours, he was busy getting brought up to speed living the life. His life literally depends on his performance and the performance of those around him.
Well we can see why that is obvious in his case, but can we see how obvious it is for our lives as well. We are not called to live Christ life as a means of earning our place, but it is a way to make the life produce fruit for us and through us. When we are born again, we in a sense receive a diploma entitling us to all that is in Christ. Not only do our lives depend on this, but also the lives of others that Christ expects our lives to spill over into.
Yes we keep learning, but there is no lesson as grand as the one that we learn by living it. So it is time we got busy living what we study. If we do, we will learn and receive more and more!