With another semester completed I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect on all that this Fall 2016 semester has taught me. Here are a couple observations:
1. Seminary is Hard! I knew this semester was going to be hard for several reasons (I was starting the MABC program this Fall and knew an extra class would add pressure and time. I was taking more units than my previous two semesters. The course work I was beginning to take was more complex). However, I did not appreciate how much harder this semester would prove to be. Ultimately, I ended up spending as much 25-35 hours per week doing homework. Regularly this meant homework all day Wednesday, Saturday, and much of the evening time of Sundays, Mondays, and most of Thursdays. This combined with more time in class along with two night classes, regular bible study and trying to keep my painting business going made for a tought semester. I now realize that Seminary is Hard! 2. God is Good! Through all of the pressure of deadlines, quizzes, exams, and more papers than I thought I could ever write in a single term (42 to be exact!) God has been Faithful and Good. Despite my very real weaknesses God has continued to provide the strength just when I need it most. God continues to humble me and demonstrate that I need Him more than I ever imagined. It is only as I depend upon Him that I find my greatest joy and satisfaction. I have also been privileged to spend more time studying about the perfections of God and have come to a place of "blessed despair" (as Dr. Mook) calls it over the incomprehensible nature of our Creator God! It seems the more I know of Him and learn from His Word the greater the gap between He and I grows. How can I approach such an almighty, sovereign God? And yet, He has graciously revealed Himself to us, even to the point of sending His Son to this world that we might be redeemed and reconcilled to Him! 3. Family is Ministry! One aspect of ministry that has been made clear is the recognition that my family (my wife and children) are my ministry priority! In the hustle and bustle of life and all of the pressures of work, school, family, church, and ministry opportunities it is possible to neglect the people God has given me first to shepherd-my wife and kids. I have often failed in my role as husband and father but God is continuing to teach me to seek their good and their spiritual growth first before that of others. My success in ministry will be directly connected with my success as a dad and husband. (Ephesians 6; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 3:4). 4. Life is Short! This one seems like a no-brainer but I have come to realize just how short our lives actually are and unfortunately, how much of them is spent in pursuit of things that have no lasting value! Our time on this earth is designed to bring glory to our God and it is only in such pursuit that we can find lasting joy. It is only as we store up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20) that our lives find real meaning. Seminary is a short season in the length of my life and I am learning to treasure every moment that I have been given and to spend my life fully for the sake of Christ alone! I am learning that wherever I am, I should be all there. Oh that we may gladly spend everything, even ourselves for the sake of the souls of those around us (2 Corinthians 12:14-15)...As Jim Elliot so aptly put it, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose"
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AaronJust a regular guy who would rather burn out than rust out! Archives
December 2019
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