un-learning

un-learning

” for even the twelve had to unlearn many things before they could effectively serve him.” – Warren Wiersbe – Be(series) Compassionate – Luke 1-13 pg. 79

  It would be hard pressed to say that there are things in our lives that have been engrained in our beings throughout life. If we can state clearly and without doubt, that we have nothing to unlearn……then I would state that you might be joking or that you don’t need to read this. A friend of mine once said in a sermon, ” if you think your relationship with Jesus is good and you don’t need anything right now, then you’re probably lying.” I would agree with this statement 100%! All of us have things in our lives that hold us back from the fullness that is God’s grace that can lead us to a peaceful and loving life. The interesting thing about this situation that we all find ourselves in life is that there is most likely things that we have to unlearn to be able to move us forward in the relationship that we want or desire with Jesus. Jesus in the book of Luke when he is giving his Beatitudes sermon, challenges not just the mass amount of people that is following and listening to him, but he is challenging the Disciples that he had just appointed to be the new nation or to bring in the era of the Church. Everything from how we act around others, to how we learn or what we learn, to what we watch, what we listen to, who we listen to and how we make decisions every day. Jesus is challenging all of them in the way that they look at their every day situations and circumstances and to think differently and react differently than what they have done the rest of their lives, up to that point. There was something that came out of reading the chapter from Warren Wiersbe’s Be series book that rings true in reflection on what my journey has been like.

1. Humility – this is something that is hard to do because I believe that at the heart of what Humility is, is misinterpreted or misunderstood by those who hear the word. The word Humility is not something that entails putting yourself ‘down’ when coming around others. In my estimation and my understanding, Humility is the process in which you ‘ elevate those around you’ more than you elevate yourself. Case in point, I have a feeling that all of us have the ‘one upper’ in our circle of influence. I know for a fact that I have run through seasons of life where I have been that person. It’s not the best place to find yourself. However, as we journey and work hard at this idea of Humility, it allows us to see how Jesus cares so much about you and I, that he was raised on a cross to save us from the life and ending that we deserve. W. Wiersbe has a great quote – ” The Humble person is the only kind of person that God can Save.” If we take a snapshot of our lives, have we been saved because we have accepted and humbled ourselves before God stating that we need him?
2. Character – This one I believe can be grasped a little easier than other big words in the Christian Journey. However I loved the way that Wiersbe broke this down – [Character is Determined by the Choices that we make. However, choices are made by the VALUES that we have learned. The Values that we base our life on, are based on the values accepted by faith.] I wonder and I am going to be doing this myself, what are the VALUES in life that we have to unlearn that has been engrained in our beings?
3. Obedience – Obedience requires an action. It requires a next step for each and every one of us. Obedience is the process in which we hear something and do what we hear. It could be as simple as – chew your food before you swallow. Obviously we know what would happen if we tried to swallow a full 12oz medium rare steak, probably not the best outcome. It could be as hard as – love those that hate you. I don’t think I have to go on that point too much. Obedience is something that Jesus calls anyone who listens to him too. Obedient to the life that Jesus lived and the practices that he teaches for our lives. Obedience I believe is not the mindless….ok i will do it…. but it is out of the humility and character that we have learned, to be obedient to the way that Jesus calls us to live our lives.

That was a mouthful and an overflow of what is in my heart after reading and studying Luke 6. I wonder though, how many of us need to unlearn certain things that we have been doing our entire lives. Things that may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But if you add up all of those things, it may become this large boulder that is standing in front of us and we don’t know how to get around. As a consolation, I believe that there is a silver lining in all of this as I sit and ponder on the things that I need to unlearn. The silver lining: In the midst of our faults and failures that we all have. The witness that we have and the stories that each and every one of us have on this journey with Jesus, can and should point to the Grace and Love that Jesus has for you and I.