Why do we learn? There are many people that would give a ready response to this question. Their responses would range from the typical; we learn to gain a better place in the world, we learn to get a better job, we learn to better ourselves in our overall state, or the least popular idea, we learn because we love it. When I first entered college I would have declared many of the same answers as the former listed above. However, during my time spent at Geneva College my view on this issue has changed immensely. I no longer look at learning and study as a means to gain a better place in life or a way to make money. I have come to love learning and everything that comes with it. Through the classes that I have taken in the Higher Education program I have seen the beautiful truths that a life of learning can lead to.
If we love learning, not only will we love learning new things about subjects that are commonly taught at institutions of higher education, but we will come to love learning new truths about the grace and mercy of God. The more we learn about the world that we live in, the more we will learn about the different aspects and the depth of the person of Christ. The beauty that is displayed all around us through the creation should cause us to be amazed by the greatness of our God. Yet, there are many times that we look at things that are not of a primary interest to us as useless or pointless. This is a very poor, and harmful, way to look at the things that God has created. If our primary interests are in areas of literature, education, or philosophy we may not have as much interest in the sciences, medicine, physics, or engineering. However, this does not mean that we should not have a great appreciation for those things.
God has created the world with such order that we can be amazed at the greatness of the universe while still beholding the beautiful intricate parts that exist. Learning should not be about what it will get us, but rather about how much we can know about our creator. A love for learning gives fuel to the fire that now burns within me. I want to know as much as I can about a wide array of topics, not so that I can posses a certain amount of knowledge, but rather so that I can know more about my savior. The more I study the Bible, the more I see the beauty of God's sovereignty shining forth in every part of creation. The more I study creation and the creatures in it, the more my eyes are opened to truths found in the scriptures and the magnitude of how great and powerful our God is.
Learning is not about things that fade away, things that do not last, things that "moth and rust destroy". Rather, learning should be about the knowledge that we can gain about our savior, Jesus Christ, and the work that he did on the cross for those that love him. It should be about striving to gain an understanding of the universe that God created to sustain the lives that we so often take for granted. Learning should be about a love for the truth. The only truth comes from God, so a search for the truth should only lead us closer to the Holy and Righteous One.
