When I was in college, one of my professors at the state university was a very crusty old bird who complained constantly about his students. To my knowledge, he was not a particularly orthodox Christian, and I saw little evidence of faith in any of my interactions with him. One day I stopped by his office while he was grading papers, and he glared in my direction in frustration about the students’ papers.
“I wish more of my students were Christians,” he said.
I was stunned to hear this and asked, “Why do you say that?,” unsure of what point he was about to make.
“Christians know how to read things more than once. Christians know how to reflect on what they have read and come up with careful thoughts based on it. If you read the Bible for your entire life — one gigantic book read over and over again — you will read everything else differently and think differently.”
I have thought about that conversation for almost four decades now because it aligned with my experience as a pastor’s kid. I often accompanied my dad on regular visits to shut-ins and elderly church members, listening quietly to them talking about what God had been teaching them and what they had been reading in the Scriptures. It made a huge impression on my young mind to know that adults were still engaged in learning well after they had completed their formal schooling.
Perhaps it will not surprise anyone to read that I, a college professor and president, believe that learning is a lifelong undertaking. I spent the better part of my youth and young adulthood pursuing formal education, earning the kind of credentials that open opportunities in education and non-profit work. Perhaps, however, it will surprise you to read me encourage you to think of education — lifelong education — as a part of spiritual formation.
When we think of spiritual disciplines and formation, we think of Bible study, prayer, fasting, and worship. The purpose of these activities is the cultivation of a heart, mind, and soul that are attenuated to God and God’s truth, aligning ourselves with His will and purposes. Each of these activities, however, is also a form of discipleship. The concept of discipleship is rooted in another important word, “discipline.” Spiritual formation is about discipline, and the life of the mind is a critical part of our essential nature as God’s creation.
Second Timothy 3:7 warns that some people are “always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (CSB). This reminds us that extensive, continuous learning is not a problem; refusing to acknowledge the truth about God and His word, as well as His creation, is an existential problem. As Christians, we ought to be motivated to learn in alignment with God’s truth, and we should do this with all of our might, for all of our lives.
When we are young, this is easy; our culture values school, both in terms of our weekdays in formal grades and our Sundays in Sunday school. In young adulthood, we continue our education in military training, vocational preparation, or college degrees. Then we reach the stage where our careers are launched, our adult lives emerge with family demands, and our time is spoken for day-in and day-out. We are busy in every moment, plus we have phones to scroll, shows to stream, and Instagram feeds to monitor. The learning slows to a crawl or disappears altogether — and with it, the pursuit of the truth diminishes.
I would like to challenge our readers to consider their intellectual stewardship of the time and the braincells that God has granted to them. If we are to love God with our hearts, minds, soul, and strength, as Mark 12:30 tells us, if we are to be renewed by the renewing of our minds, not being conformed to our age’s transitory claims, as Romans 12:2 urges us, then our minds should be engaged as a part of our spiritual formation.
We can read broadly, to engage ideas that are both theological and culturally relevant. We can take on new hobbies like art, music, or other work that stretch our minds. We can listen to podcasts that are enlightening rather than maddening or disheartening, and we can even audit classes at one of our Baptist colleges or a local tech school. There are many options available to us in our era that can allow our minds to remain sharp well into our adult lives and even our senior years. I don’t believe it is God’s will for us to let our minds turn to mush as we grow older. I believe that God will continue to lead us into all His truth every single day of our lives, as we continue to learn about Him and His world.
— Gene C. Fant Jr. serves as the eighth president of North Greenville University, one of the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s ministry partners.