How Long Does Education Require?

During the end of May and in early June, high schools and universities across our nation hosted graduation ceremonies. Students received high school diplomas, college students had bachelor, masters, and doctorate degrees conferred upon them, and numerous other schools honored students with various other degrees and certificates of completion.

Our youngest grandson was in that number of high school graduates in the Class of 2026. Now, it is off to college where he joins his sister in the next steps of formal education. For me, I experienced graduation ceremonies in 1965, 1969, 1972, and 1983. Each time I thought that the education process was finally complete. Wrong! Since then, I have attended numerous conferences, lectures, certification programs, read an untold number of books, and asked questions of mentors and others that I consider wiser than me in an effort to gain knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Many would say that I still need many more years of adding to that journey.

In 2 Chronicles 1:10, as Solomon was becoming King of Israel following his father David, he prayed for help in fulfilling his role as king.

"Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in

before this people, for who can govern this people of yours,

which is so great?"

We know from scripture that God granted Solomon's request. Solomon became known as the wisest man of his time. A great amount of Solomon's wisdom and knowledge is recorded in the Book of Proverbs. If you read through all the Proverbs, you will see the words wise, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, listen, and discipline printed multiple times.

Two of my favorites of Solomon's Proverbs are printed below.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 1:7

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but he who hates reproof is stupid."

Proverbs 12:1

I have two thoughts from these two Proverbs.

• God is the creator and originator of all that is. He is the ultimate source of all knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. We may go in many directions seeking these things, but at some point, if our search for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom is honest, we must seek them first by seeking God first.

  
  

• None of us knows nor understands everything. Just like on test papers during formal education, we will find that some of our answers are wrong. Correction, reproof, and discipline are ways that we can get off of a false search and be brought back to truth.

So how is your education coming along? Regardless of age, it is never too late to continue learning and growing in wisdom and truth. One word of warning about education in our day: social media is not a reliable source of truth and wisdom. The wise of the world speak and teach, but so do the fools of the world. Be discerning in whom you listen to and in what you accept as truth.

This week, what will be your next step in continuing your search for knowledge, wisdom, and truth?