The Joy of Glory

Dear Jonathan,

I think I need to clarify my last letter a little. Don’t get me wrong…I meant every word that I wrote, but I do think it would be easy for someone to twist my words in order to justify being a slacker when it comes to their seminary studies. So…let me emphatically say…

There comes a time when you need to pick up the books.

Yes…your family is a higher priority than school. Yes…you should be willing to take a lower grade instead of sacrificing the health of your marriage or relationship with your children. However…you should not use any of those truths as excuses to be a slacker. No! They should serve as motivation to work on hard during the time you have allotted for study.

Seminarians are among the world’s worst procrastinators. Let’s be honest, I think there are very few people in the world that do not struggle with procrastination on some level. And, when you are in grad school/working a job/and have a family, it can be very easy to put off school work under the guise of integrity.

However, putting your family first does not mean you have to flunk.

In fact, flunking is failing you’re family because you are only extending the total amount of time it is going to take you to finish school! You need to study hard for the sake of your family!

Of course I believe you should set boundaries on the amount of time you give to your studies, but within those boundaries work with all your heart as unto the Lord! Being a slacker does not help your family in the end…it hurts them.

Study in such a way that you need to be ashamed.

Jonathan, finding the proper amount of time to give to school and to give to your family is one of the most difficult aspects of seminary. There is only so much time in a day. But, I guess what I’m trying to say is that it is not only important to divide the time up properly, but to work diligently within those divisions.

During family time…be fully present to your wife and kids. And, during study time, give yourself to the task of learning how to rightly divide the Word of truth. Such hard work is not ultimately for the health of your GPA, but for the health of your family and your future church.

Jonathan…there comes a time to pick up the books.

Grace and Peace,

J

*To know/understand the premise behind these letters please click here.