Non-Theological Students

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

People who have lots of time to invest into scripture reading memorization obviously benefit from this. In fact those who do not do this can sometimes be seen as too worldly, especially if the rest of their time is taken up in non-theological studies/jobs such as accounting, law, economics, political science etc…
My problem is as a student that I believe I should do well in my studies and any future job. I believe that this is my duty. To do this I need to read a number of books a week, I need to memorize charts and theories. I need to write essays and attend meetings. I can end up studying and working a good 60 or so hours a week. This means I do not have a lot of time to just dedicate to scripture reading or anything like this anymore. While in the past I could have used flash cards to memorize scripture in my breaks between class I now need to memorize marketing terms, or draft a business proposal for a meeting the next day.

I am sure many professionals must struggle with similar problems. We do not have the spare time just to sit down and be quiet as often as say theological students or laborers.

Does this mean some jobs are not as good in the Christian sense as others? It could be a natural conclusion but it is counter intuitive.

How have others handled this?

 

[InevitablyReformed]

I know that the thing that I try to do (and fail at many times) is figure out when I need to get up to be on time to such and such for that day. Then I get up 45 min to an hour earlier in order to study the Bible. It might seem difficult at first but once it becomes habit it's not that bad. Also, get used to sleeping a little less and making it up on Saturdays.

I don't believe that your job should be classified as "less Christian" just because it takes up a lot of time. The Lord can use us however he wishes and I think that in many ways our primary purpose is to show forth the love of Christ in everything we do, do it well, and make sure that we and those around us know that it is all for the glory of God.

 

[Kenneth_Murphy]

I do feel there are choices that have to be made to create a proper balance in your life and to keep first priorities first. I'm an IT professional in the areas of Oracle, SQL Server and SAP. Those are all demanding areas and I could easily consume all my free time learning more in those areas. However, I have decided that I don't need to be the best possible IT person I could be. I don't need to get the biggest possible raise each year by exceeding all expectations. Rather I'm comfortable with simply being very competent and a strong employee. But I hold my non work time preciously. I have even started more formal Theological education. Because I feel I have obligations to know God better as well as doing well at my job. I need to honor my employer by giving them their money's worth. I work for my boss but I LIVE for Christ. I'm not trying to imply keeping a balance is easy, but rather it's something that should be striven for.

 

[Pergamum]

MP3 players and sermons while you work out or drive. That's what I do.

If you like tacky homemade decorating, I also write key verses on my wall (think bathroom door or mirror) and memorize while you brush your teeth. No kidding - it works....and helps you to brush those pearly whites for at least 30 seconds instead of one, two, spit.

 

[mybigGod]

Proverbs offers universal spiritual advice, as a way of life and a way of thinking. Not necessarily as a time management problem. We should seek wisdom like we are looking for the most valuable thing in life. The amount of time we invest in something only shows were we stand in relation to the worth we place on wisdom. Since we have been instructed in a modern world view that has an imagination of the incorporation of these different truths into our personalities, even entertaining a certain love of common grace as the avenue to have this kind of world view in the reformed circles. Since the bible is a complete book, that is we are made complete by its instruction, then there is nothing else where we need to go to get wholeness. And the problem is not necessarily having a balanced life , or having a disciplined time schedule. Balance can be the mother of all folly.
Our problem is that we view life through our own thoughts and desires. Education is not the answer, that is learning more about things. But education is the method by which we become foolish in our thinking and lazy in our pursuits. Since the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge then it is the focal point for all learning. Because divine knowledge is a knowledge that is alive. It is of the nature of God that makes us understand everything else in the truth of life. That is seeking wisdom as if you left everything by the wayside.
Since we are so easily given to self deception, if we have an absence of His word to us, then by that proportion we are going to naturally decline in our understanding the worth of wisdom, and we will grow distant from Him and our hearts will harden. So that we do not measure our success by the amount of knowledge we possess, but the kind of seeking we are doing in having a value in our understanding of wisdom. We do not live in a world that is neutral. We live in a world where sin is always fully active in us and around us. And we live in a world that is spiritually adverse to any kind of learning of truth. So we begin in life in a battle to hold onto the position of growth by putting up a resistance to the active evil that is coming at us. Our only weapon is His word.

 

[Abd_Yesua_alMasih]

I do feel there are choices that have to be made to create a proper balance in your life and to keep first priorities first. I'm an IT professional in the areas of Oracle, SQL Server and SAP. Those are all demanding areas and I could easily consume all my free time learning more in those areas. However, I have decided that I don't need to be the best possible IT person I could be. I don't need to get the biggest possible raise each year by exceeding all expectations. Rather I'm comfortable with simply being very competent and a strong employee. But I hold my non work time preciously. I have even started more formal Theological education. Because I feel I have obligations to know God better as well as doing well at my job. I need to honor my employer by giving them their money's worth. I work for my boss but I LIVE for Christ. I'm not trying to imply keeping a balance is easy, but rather it's something that should be striven for.

I guess that raises the question though of what ones duty is to ones employer. We are told to do these things for the glory of God. Obviously there are limits how far we can take this (a 24 hour work day being an example), but I do not see what 'example' we make of ourselves if we refuse to work harder than the secularists. Just a thought.

 

[InevitablyReformed]

MP3 players and sermons while you work out or drive. That's what I do.

If you like tacky homemade decorating, I also write key verses on my wall (think bathroom door or mirror) and memorize while you brush your teeth. No kidding - it works....and helps you to brush those pearly whites for at least 30 seconds instead of one, two, spit.

I love those free RTS ipod downloads. That's all I listen to when I run now.