Are You Learned Right?

1 Timothy 1:3-7 (ESV)
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, [4]nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. [5]The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. [6]Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, [7]desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

This is going to be a very short illumination of this portion of scripture. The reason why this hit me so much is that I was sort of into the camp of the folks in verses 6 & 7. There was a point that I loved “the learning” about God more than I loved God. Don’t take this statement the wrong way; anything can become an idol in our lives, and mine was learning.

I loved church history and how it intertwined with art history. I loved studying cultures and being challenged with how to present the Gospel in those different cultures. I loved being challenged in the higher education setting. The “love” was in the wrong place.

Verse 5 asserts the kind of “love” I should have had. I still study and study much. But it isn’t for the purpose of having debates and winning folks over with my intelligence. I study to learn how to improve the way I love. The Lord gave us The Great Commandment which is all about love:

Matthew 22:37-40 (HCSB)
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38] This is the greatest and most important commandment. [39] The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. [40] All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Learning is great, but it needs to be paired with “do.” Scripture tells us this too:

James 1:22-25 (HCSB)
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. [23] Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; [24] for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. [25] But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts — this person will be blessed in what he does.

Continue to diligently learn God’s word. Have the right motive. Not to become puffed-up in your knowledge of the Lord, but to become more equipped to act, and act in love. The reward: to be blessed in what you do.