3 Wise Lessons from School Days

All of us have surely received advice, whether it was given without being asked or whether we sought it from others. It can range from simple things, like directions or tips for buying something, to advice about life.

I personally still remember some of the advice my teachers and lecturers gave me years ago. Why? Because their advice is timeless, deeply meaningful, and still applicable in daily life now that I am an adult.

Here are three wise lessons from them that you can apply:

1. Do Not Pawn Your Spot in Heaven

Every time, before my friends and I worked on a test, our high school math teacher would say the advice above.

Huh, what does a test have to do with pawning a spot?

According to him, cheating means compromising with sin. And compromising with sin (no matter how small it seems or how pressed you feel) is the same as pawning the place God has prepared for us in heaven.

Remember the story of Esau, who sold his birthright to Jacob for nothing more than a bowl of red stew (Genesis 25:29-34)? Why was Esau willing to do that?

After returning from hunting, Esau must have been tired and hungry. You can imagine how tempting the aroma of Jacob's red stew must have been. So Esau immediately agreed when Jacob demanded his birthright in exchange for a bowl of stew.

Esau despised his birthright and was willing to sacrifice something so precious just for food. He chose to satisfy his appetite rather than hold on to his privilege as the firstborn son.

Indeed, in the end Esau regretted his rash decision. But what could he do? Nothing. Esau had to accept the consequence that he would never receive the best blessing, which he had already sold to Jacob.

See to it that no one is sexually immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, because he found no opportunity to undo what he had done, even though he sought it with tears. – Hebrews 12:16-17

Are you currently pawning your spot in heaven? What sin are you compromising with?

Value your place in heaven. It is not something you earned for yourself, but the grace of God. A life had to be sacrificed so that we could have a spot there, namely the life of Jesus Christ.

Do not pawn your spot in heaven for sin or for something small. The price you would have to pay is far too costly! Later on, when you regret it, there will be nothing you can do because it will already be too late.

2. Do Not Fulfill Your Own Prophecy

Do you realize that you often prophesy? And that you yourself are the one fulfilling that prophecy?

What do you mean by that?

Another of my math teachers said, “If you say, ‘math is the hardest subject for me,’ then who designed this prophecy? You yourselves, right?

“And when your test score is bad, you say, ‘See, didn’t I tell you? I really am terrible at math.’ Doesn’t that mean you are fulfilling your own prophecy?”

Just like children who complain about their lessons, we too may often say, “I’m not suited to work in this field. I can’t speak in public. I can’t do anything, I’m worthless. I’m not talented either. And I can’t lead,” and so on.

We make so many negative prophecies over ourselves every day. It is not God, but we ourselves, who determine all of that. And sadly, we are also the ones who fulfill it, because indirectly, what we believe will produce results in line with that belief.

For she said, "If I only touch His robe, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. – Mark 5:28-29

What you believe about something will affect the results you receive. Words are prayer. If you always take a negative attitude, then negative things are what you will reap. But if you believe and speak what is positive, then positive things are what will happen in your life.

So, do not fulfill the prophecy you make over yourself—if it is something negative. You may change the sentence to: “Fulfill your own prophecy, if it is something positive.”

3. Do Not Repeat Someone Else’s “Thesis Topic”

This advice was given by a lecturer before I worked on my final project. So why should we not repeat a thesis topic that someone else has already done?

“Because you no longer need to prove things that others have already proven,” he said firmly.

For example, there has already been an experiment using extracts of flowers A, B, and C made into tea at a 50% concentration to lower diabetes levels in mice. The results showed that flower C extract was the most effective.

“You may certainly use a similar experiment, but with different flower types, for example C, D, and E. It could be that another flower extract is more effective in lowering diabetes,” he explained. “Or, you can still use flowers A, B, and C to test whether flower C is also effective in lowering cholesterol in mice.” The point is, there are many variations of methods that can be applied in an experiment. Repeating a path that others have already proven will only waste time and energy. The same is true in life, there are many things that have already been proven by others. For example, it has already been proven that smoking triggers many diseases. Or that laziness harms a person and their future.

Then why do we still do those things?

Do we have to prove the effects for ourselves before we can believe?

Life is too short just to repeat experiments on things that have already been proven. Learn—not only from your own mistakes, but also from the mistakes of others. That way, you can save a great deal of time, money, and energy without having to ‘fall into the same hole.’

Then Jesus said: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on sin no more." – John 8:11b

Human beings can fall into sin, but God does not want us to keep making the same mistakes over and over. By learning from past mistakes and from other people, we can build lives that are increasingly better and more righteous.

May the wise advice of my teachers become material for reflection and a powerful reminder so that your life may grow ever more aligned with the will of God.

Have a nice day!

*Church GKDI currently has a presence in 35 cities. We have Bible study activities in every area; if you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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