Anxious To Learn ... And Serve

There are moments in time when things are presented before us and we desire to learn a little bit more about them.  Then, with nothing more than making an inquiry, someone steps in and begins to inform us as well as lead us into what could possibly be a commitment.  However, some us step back and put it off for a later time.  Are some of us not as bold to follow through a commitment, or perhaps seeking some form of confirmation before making a major decision?

For a few weeks, now, I've been looking into a certificate program in religious studies or something of the like.  I did not sense a calling to it, but I was beginning to get frustrated with all the "theology" talks that surround me at my place of work by both lay and ordained ministers of the Christian faith.  Although I have read several books within this subject area, I have never really devoted to study it well.  A lot of the conceptions or teachings that I hold are rooted in a Pentecostal orientation (Assemblies of God).  Furthermore, I have not so much acquired them through formal seminarian or university teachings, but instead through some weekend-long series, special programs, Sunday School lessons, ministry work, and above all, the Holy Spirit.

For the most part, I've believed that if the Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the writers of the Holy Scriptures, it is He whom people should seek for both the revelation and application of them in all aspects of their lives.  After all, the scriptures as I've read them, have been translated from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.  Yet, the Word of God does not return void, because it is the work of the Holy Spirit that makes the difference within the life of a believer.  I strongly believe that a lay person with both a sincere heart and desire to maintain a healthy relationship with God, as well as seeks for the help of the Holy Spirit, has a good understanding of the Holy Scriptures.  Comparatively, a person who has a rich background of scholarly studies in the scriptures and the "insights" of mortal people, they are subject to develop a form of religious belief system based on mortals as oppose to God's.  Am I against scholarly studies of the Holy Scriptures?  Not at all.  However, I am against the exaggerated credit given to the teachings and interpretations of men as oppose to the original inspired writers of the Holy Scriptures and more importantly, the Holy Spirit.

At this point in time, I have sought counsel from some Christian friends, of which do perceive that it will not hurt to try a few courses.  However, I have also sought God.  Through the process of doing so, He spoke to my mind and heart.  In essence, He told me that it is good that I should have a desire to learn more about Him through some classes with the intention of being better equipped for His service.  However, as He has told me before, He has a different plan for me, a different way of training me for His service.  I am to continue with the books that I have, but also others, of which I have recently acquired on the subject of prayer.  I am also to continue my work with a topical concordance I am putting together. Hence, I find myself continuing on the path of which I begun this year; with the addition of confirmation of what I am to work on.

In closing, as a born-again Christian, a person may hold several plans and desires, all for being better equipped to serve God.  Yet, unless those plans are in line with His plans for that person's life, that person will find themselves with many challenges that tend to push them out of that route.  In the end, it is always the plan of God for a person's life that is carried out.  However, it is our responsibility to seek God so that we may be able to receive a glimpse of the plan He has for our lives, but also confirm that we have not gone astray from the intended route He set up for us.