Are you learning?

William Shakespeare is quoted as saying, “O! this learning, what a thing it is.” Do you and I feel this way? Is this how we approach the learning process in our lives. One thing that I’ve seen recently when visiting nursing home centers is that those senior citizens who continue learn stay sharp and aware. How do they maintain this awareness level, some even into their 90′s? They learn.

They spend time rehearsing, memorizing, reading, and actively engaging in conversation. They have learned how to learn. This is not something that comes naturally to all. Learning for some is tedious, and yet many more simply don’t after they are out of high school. They just read the paper for the comics or sports, but never engage their critical thinking skills to examine a topic and dive in to learn more about it and put it in a broader context. They don’t spend time personalizing their study.

We can do the same when it comes to reading the Bible if we’re not careful. We should strive not merely to memorize – but to internalize the word of God. We should put ourselves in the action and read the Scriptures from a first person perspective. This is one of many different methods to making God’s word part of us. We need to continue to learn.

2 Peter 3:18 exhorts us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Acquiring knowledge, no matter how many years of life one has accumulated, is the key to staying mentally young. Let’s dedicate ourselves to life-long and purposeful learning. This is one aspect of redeeming the time, and that is something that we will never regret.