Sunday
July 7
1. THE SOURCE OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE
a. Where is true wisdom found? Proverbs 9:10; Colossians 2:2, 3.
“As the moon and the stars of our solar system shine by the reflected light of the sun, so, as far as their teaching is true, do the world’s great thinkers reflect the rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Every gleam of thought, every flash of the intellect, is from the Light of the world.”—Education, p. 14.
b. How does the Lord impart His wisdom to mortals? Proverbs 2:6; Psalm 32:8.
“Whatever line of investigation we pursue, with a sincere purpose to arrive at truth, we are brought in touch with the unseen, mighty Intelligence that is working in and through all. The mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite. The effect of such communion on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate.”—Ibid.
Monday
July 8
2. GOD’S IDEAL
a. How do God’s ways compare to our ways? Isaiah 55:8, 9. How is this reflected in God’s ideal for us in education?
“Our ideas of education take too narrow and too low a range. There is need of a broader scope, a higher aim. True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come.”—Education, p. 13.
b. Therefore, what is the goal of true education? Ephesians 3:14–19.
“Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached. Before the student there is opened a path of continual progress. He has an object to achieve, a standard to attain, that includes everything good, and pure, and noble. He will advance as fast and as far as possible in every branch of true knowledge. But his efforts will be directed to objects as much higher than mere selfish and temporal interests as the heavens are higher than the earth.”—Ibid., pp. 18, 19.
c. For what should we be aiming? Jeremiah 9:23, 24.
“The education and training of the youth is an important and solemn work. The great object to be secured should be the proper development of character, that the individual may be fitted rightly to discharge the duties of the present life and to enter at last upon the future, immortal life. Eternity will reveal the manner in which the work has been performed. If ministers and teachers could have a full sense of their responsibility, we should see a different state of things in the world today. But they are too narrow in their views and purposes. They do not realize the importance of their work or its results.”—Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 418.
Tuesday
July 9
3. CONNECTION WITH GOD
a. How was man created? Genesis 1:27. With what potential?
“‘God created man in His own image’ (Genesis 1:27), and it was His purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this image—the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. . . . Had he remained loyal to God, all this would have been his forever. Throughout eternal ages he would have continued to gain new treasures of knowledge, to discover fresh springs of happiness, and to obtain clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the wisdom, the power, and the love of God. More and more fully would he have fulfilled the object of his creation, more and more fully have reflected the Creator’s glory.
“But by disobedience this was forfeited. Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man’s physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed. He had become subject to death. Yet the race was not left without hope. By infinite love and mercy the plan of salvation had been devised, and a life of probation was granted. To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life.”—Education, pp. 15, 16.
b. What desire should fill every heart? Psalm 86:11.
“Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator—individuality, power to think and to do. . . . It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought. Instead of confining their study to that which men have said or written, let students be directed to the sources of truth, to the vast fields opened for research in nature and revelation. . . .
“Such an education provides more than mental discipline; it provides more than physical training. It strengthens the character, so that truth and uprightness are not sacrificed to selfish desire or worldly ambition. It fortifies the mind against evil. . . . As the perfection of His character is dwelt upon, the mind is renewed, and the soul is re-created in the image of God.”—Ibid., pp. 17, 18.
Wednesday
July 10
4. SERVICE TO OTHERS
a. When we know God, what do we experience? 1 John 4:16, 19.
“Love, the basis of creation and of redemption, is the basis of true education. This is made plain in the law that God has given as the guide of life. The first and great commandment is, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.’ Luke 10:27. To love Him, the infinite, the omniscient One, with the whole strength, and mind, and heart, means the highest development of every power. It means that in the whole being—the body, the mind, as well as the soul—the image of God is to be restored.”—Education, p. 16.
“In the heart renewed by divine grace, love is the principle of action. It modifies the character, governs the impulses, controls the passions, subdues enmity, and ennobles the affections. This love, cherished in the soul, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around.”—Steps to Christ, p. 59.
b. How does God’s love influence our relationships with others? John 13:34.
“The same interest and tenderness and long-suffering that [Jesus] has manifested toward us, we are to manifest toward others. ‘As I have loved you,’ He says, ‘that ye also love one another.’ John 13:34. If Christ dwells in us, we shall reveal His unselfish love toward all with whom we have to do. As we see men and women in need of sympathy and help, we shall not ask, ‘Are they worthy?’ but ‘How can I benefit them?’”—The Ministry of Healing, p. 162.
“Satan has used the most ingenious methods to weave his plans and principles into the systems of education, and thus gain a strong hold on the minds of the children and youth. It is the work of the true educator to thwart his devices. We are under solemn, sacred covenant to God to bring up our children for Him and not for the world; to teach them not to put their hands into the hand of the world, but to love and fear God, and to keep His commandments. They should be impressed with the thought that they are formed in the image of their Creator and that Christ is the pattern after which they are to be fashioned. Most earnest attention must be given to the education which will impart a knowledge of salvation, and will conform the life and character to the divine similitude.”—Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 127.
Thursday
July 11
5. A COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL PLAN
a. What does the plan of God entail? 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
b. How does Jesus’ childhood illustrate this completeness? Luke 2:51, 52.
c. How can we have success in education? Romans 12:1, 2.
“All the varied capabilities that men possess—of mind and soul and body—are given them by God, to be so employed as to reach the highest possible degree of excellence. But this cannot be a selfish and exclusive culture; for the character of God, whose likeness we are to receive, is benevolence and love. Every faculty, every attribute, with which the Creator has endowed us is to be employed for His glory and for the uplifting of our fellow men. And in this employment is found its purest, noblest, and happiest exercise.
“Were this principle given the attention which its importance demands, there would be a radical change in some of the current methods of education. . . . The student would seek the development of God’s gifts in himself, not to excel others, but to fulfill the purpose of the Creator and to receive His likeness.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 595.
“He who created man has provided for his development in body and mind and soul. Hence, real success in education depends upon the fidelity with which men carry out the Creator’s plan.”—Ibid.
Friday
July 12
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Where can we find the source of wisdom?
2. What is the purpose of true education?
3. What work is to be done within each believer?
4. How does education teach us to serve others?
5. What parts of our being are included in a complete education?