Above all, be strong and courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Joshua 1:7-8 HCSB
I find the terms self-made and self-taught interesting. People claim to be self-made men. People claim to teach themselves how to do something. I question is there any such thing?
People who claim to be self-made got a start from somewhere. They may have clawed their way to the top, but they had the help of some kind from someone at some point.
The term self-taught is also interesting. I know people like my sister who can master things like architecture and carpentry with very little instruction. But she studies how things are done before she does them herself. Both of her sons have the same intelligence and ability to be able to observe and see how things are done and then do it themselves.
With YouTube, we can learn to do just about anything. Several years ago, I was having issues with my washing machine and watched a YouTube video and fixed it. I wasn’t self-taught. I was taught by the guy on the video.
When people tell me they are Christians, but they don’t need to read their Bible and they don’t need to go to church I find that interesting. How will they learn to be good Christians if they don’t read their Bible or go to church?
I spent years in church and still bombed out for a time in my life on being a good Christian. I had to get back into being involved in church and not just going out of obligation. I had to get involved in the Bible studies that were offered.
I have to sit under the teaching of a good Bible-teaching pastor. I have to be around friends that mentor me in God’s word.
In our Scripture passage, Joshua is preparing to take over in leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. He has been under Moses’ guidance and now the job is being turned over to Him. Moses has given Joshua and the other Israelites the Ten Commandments that God Himself wrote with his own finger.
God is explaining the importance of meditating on them continually and not deviating from their instructions. He tells Joshua to recite it day and night so he can carefully observe everything written in it.
We go to school, and we study because we want to be good at what we do. We do on-the-job training so we can observe others and see how they do the job.
Why should Christianity be any different? Why should we be okay with being so-so Christian? Is there such a thing? Jesus says in Matthew 7:15 that the gate is narrow, and the road is difficult that leads to life, and few find it. He goes on to say in verse 21 that not everyone who cries out to Him, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven.
If you want to be a Christian, you must be taught to be a Christian. You must study God’s word. You should aspire to be good at it.
Would you trust your car to a mechanic with no training whatsoever in being a mechanic?
Would you trust your life to a doctor or an attorney who had never spent one day of their life in school? Probably not. Are you willing to trust your eternal life to your self-teaching? Better give that some careful consideration.
The Bible tells us our belief in Jesus Christ alone saves us (Romans 10:9-10). So, I’m not saying you can’t get into heaven without going to church and studying your Bible. I am telling you if you truly believe, you will want to do these things. You will have an insatiable hunger for the study of God’s word. And the more you know about God the deeper your love for him will be. You will want to please Him with all you say and do.
Have a great day!