This was it, my first opportunity to impress my fiancé with my vast array of cooking skills. The two of us, along with another young couple, had planned a day at an amusement park, complete with a picnic meal. We packed up a small, portable grill, some hamburger, and all the sides. After arriving at our destination, we secured a picnic table, got a nice hot fire going, and my girlfriend and I put our amazing grilling skills to the test, or as the case would be, the lack thereof. In a matter of minutes, the grill was engulfed in flames, the burgers were burnt beyond recognition, and two young egos were mortally wounded. A sage, elderly man, who was watching the humorous scene unfold from a nearby table, pulled my date aside, and while sporting with a coy smile, offered this consolation: Don’t worry, son, she’ll learn.
I reflect of that humbling experience on days when I am super busy in the kitchen, juggling five different recipes simultaneously, all with calm confidence. To say the least, I have learned. I am certainly no professional-level chef, but now I can hold my own in the kitchen without burning down the house.
In our Christian walk, we are encouraged to grow in our knowledge of Christ. The “fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,” we must not remain stagnant, but always seek to “increase learning,” not head knowledge, but wisdom, understanding, spiritual thinking. Often Israel was called into condemnation by their God because they had “rejected knowledge.” They refused to advance in their walk with God. The apostle Peter encourages those who have “obtained like precious faith” to add to that faith “virtue, and to virtue knowledge.” Learning the ways of God is never fully accomplished, it continues on in an endless progression until we reach Heaven’s shore.
Are you growing in knowledge? Compare your walk with Christ now from one year ago. Do you know Him better, experience His fellowship on a deeper level, and understand His Word with more clarity, or has your enthusiasm cooled, your love for His Word waned? Keep learning! Make it a goal as the new year approaches to dedicate yourself to growing closer to Him. Pray daily that He would “Teach me good judgment and knowledge,” for He promises “that knowledge will be pleasant to thy soul.”
I Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Lord, I will never be done learning about You and Your Word. Help me to grow in knowledge of You, and help me to apply that wisdom to my heart, resulting in a closer walk with You.