This is where I am. The season of life where I am getting a seminary education. After 2 years of part-time student’ing, I’ve barely scratched the surface of my 90 hour program, but God has been teaching me a lot.

I enjoy studying and talking about theology. One of the main reasons why is that theology is extremely relevant… How we live can often be traced back to our theology. So then, spending focused time on studying theology should impact how we live in a profound way. Yet, what we learn about God in a classroom setting doesn’t always translate into living differently.

“…We know that ‘We all possess knowledge.’ But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” – 1 Cor. 8:2

Seminary presents the danger of being in a setting that can easily “puff up” and not “build up”. The same could be said about any other spiritually educational setting, but I believe that seminary in particular is challenging in this way because of its academic nature.

I’ve started praying that seminary would help equip me to love God and people better. If seminary is about just head knowledge, then it is a waste. Head knowledge is not bad, as long as it is not alone.

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” – 1 Cor. 13:1

No matter how educated and eloquent my speech may be, it is worthless if I do not have love. So then, the aim of seminary (and theological study in general) must be higher than merely filling our brains with knowledge. It must be grounded in teaching us to love God (the first and greatest commandment – Deut. 6:4) and to love others, as God would have us to.

May we not miss the point.