Why study?

There was an old Glee Club song on a record album of my parents that I listened to as a girl.  It was called "Why Study?" The words went like this:

Why Study?

"The more you study

 The more you learn.

 The more you learn

 The more you know.

 The more you know

 The more you remember.

 The more you remember

 The more you forget.

 The more you forget

 The less you remember.

 The less you remember

 The less you know.

 The less you know

 The more you study.

 So whyyyyy study!?"

And that's the question I asked the youth group last night when we talked about the discipline of Bible study. Why study?  Is it just a way to fill time that could be occupied with video games, entertainment or friends?

The answer from our very astute students was:

"It keeps you in touch (with God)."  That's from sophomore Kelly Gresham.  Like all relationships, our relationship with God stays active and healthy with regular communication.  And that Bible study time is one way we "keep in touch" with our Heavenly Father.

"It refreshes you." That's from sophomore Jackson Hamm.  We encounter many alien concepts out in the world on a daily basis: unforgiveness, greed, materialism, insensitivity, crudeness, foul language, hurt feelings, death and loss.  If we don't keep in regular contact with God, we can let these things drag down our attitudes, our way of looking at the world, at ourselves at other people and at God.  We can become bitter or cynical or greedy or entitled or manipulative...  So, we need to study God's Word in order to refresh, to recalibrate our spirits to the proper settings, the right attitudes, the knowledge of how deeply God loves us and how much we need to love ourselves and other people around us, made in God's image.

So, according to our insightful youth, that is why we should study!

To keep in touch

To be refreshed

"The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true;

they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb."

Psalm 19:7-10 (NASV)