Seth Godin, who has written eloquently and at length about how education might be improved, wrote a blog this week reminding us that there’s a difference between education and learning. Here’s a snippet:

Education is the hustle for a credential. It exchanges compliance for certification. An institution can educate you. Learning can’t be done to you. It is a choice and it requires active participation, not simple adherence to metrics. Seth Godin, August 24, 2020 (emphasis mine)

It’s a great point, in and of itself, and I’ll confess that I’ve taken A LOT of education courses purely for the credential. But the point I want to make today is, I think we can apply the same “credential” attitude to our spiritual disciplines. For example:

• Do we attend church just to “check the box” that we were there or to engage in worship and actually try to learn and apply truth from the sermon?
• Is our daily time with God another box to check or are we actively listening to hear what God is saying to us?
• Do we say the Lord’s prayer or pray it?

As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, “Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.” My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. (Ezekiel 33.30 – 32, ESV)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1.22, NIV)