Why Do You Go to School?
by Jefferson David Tant
Well, one might say, “That’s really a dumb question. We go to school to learn, prepare for our adult lives, and learn how to survive in the world. To learn how to read. And there are many reasons why going to school and getting an education are necessary to live in the world.”
It’s quite obvious that going to school and getting an education is necessary if we are going to do well in the world in which we live. Now, while that makes good sense, let us give some attention to a much more important thought, which is, “Why go to church, and why do we need to study and learn the Bible? And why do we need to do this while we are young?”
Well, let’s go back to the first question. Why is it needed to get an education while one is young? It’s pretty obvious that if you want to succeed in life, you need an education. If one waits until age 25 or 30 to learn how to read or how to do math, what success do you think he or she will achieve in life? I think my readers would agree that such a person's life would be difficult, if not a complete failure.
Well, there is another realm where knowledge is important, and extremely important. And that is in the spiritual realm, the realm that deals with our eternity. Yes, our 80 or 90 years on this earth are certainly worthy of a good education to prepare for them. But what about our eternal existence in a realm that has no end? It is eternal. And how do we “graduate” at the end of life and receive a “diploma” that opens the door into heaven for us? That “diploma” is the result of our time on this earth worshipping God and learning and applying what we learn from God’s Book of Instruction—the Bible.
As I go about my day, my wife and I go shopping, travel, and eat out at restaurants. And what do we often see? We often see young people (and older people, too) who may be living good lives, earning a salary to provide for themselves and serving their customers politely, but who seem to have no interest in spiritual matters. Rarely do I find a waitress who attends church regularly or who knows anything much about God’s revelation to mankind—the Bible. I most always give them a tract or article to read, and often get their email address. But I rarely have any response from them.
I will close with some good advice. In fact, it is not only good advice, but also the most important advice in the world. It was written thousands of years ago by one of God’s servants: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, 'I have no delight in them'" (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
