An article by one Palari explains how long it takes to learn a new skill. Of course, this varies from person to person. Learning a basic skill such as, for example, a new computer program can be done within a few days or weeks. 

Learning a difficult skill like learning a new language takes months, even years. Learning an advanced skill, such as becoming a doctor, takes several years. 

To learn the skills of being a Christian, I suspect, probably falls into this last category of advanced skills. 

It probably also differs from person to person, but when I look at my own life and see how I struggle to learn new skills as a child of God, it is a lifelong process.  

Nowhere is there a place where you arrive and can say: “Aha, now I’ve arrived. My restoration process is now finally over.” 

You see, when we accepted Jesus as Saviour and received His Spirit into our hearts, our status changed immediately. From unsaved, lost, going in the wrong direction, to a child of God. 

Unfortunately, our way of life did not change immediately. It’s almost like a vehicle whose wheel alignment is off. If you don’t hold on to the steering wheel for dear life, it veers off the road all the time. 

We must consciously start living differently. We must learn new skills, and for most people, this is a lifelong process. Instead of thinking only of yourself and chasing the world’s pleasures, you try to do what is important to God. 

2Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want. 

Certainly, we’ve wasted a lot of time chasing the wrong things. We’ve lost too much of our time and energy along the way because we’ve been focusing on the wrong things. The world has blinded us and lured us down wrong paths. 

We must realise this. We need to know that our wheels have been out of alignment since we were born, which causes us to go astray easily. The world is going to bring us plastic dreams on a tray. This requires us to work hard on new skills. 

We must learn new skills and the Bible is a good teacher. Here we learn exactly what God’s will is for our lives. We learn what things we need to cut down and we are assisted to learn new skills. 

Let’s use all our strength to learn the advanced skills, even if it takes a lifetime.  

Scripture
1 Peter 4:1-6 

Reflection
Where are your wheels still veering off the road?
Where should you pay attention to new advanced skills?
How should you go about learning it? 

Prayer
Father, I realise that I still veer off the road often and need to learn advanced skills. I won’t make it on my own; only with Your strength, I will. Amen.