School of Hard Knocks

Though I finished college and went on to complete my Masters Degree in middle age, when someone has asked about my education I have generously shared that I got PhD from the School of Hard Knocks.  With honors.....er, dishonor really.  If I was a betting man I'd bet that most men had darkened the doorway of Hard Knock University at least once in their lifetime.

The School of Hard Knocks isn't necessarily a bad thing however.  In fact attendance there, however briefly one may be there, often "wakes" the attendee up to the error(s)  of his ways and brings about significant change in that person.  It's just that some (like me) were just a bit harder to wake up than others.  Some of the course offerings at Hard Knocks University are:

• stupid decision making 101    (I aced this course)
• yielding to temptation 302     (never really wanted to quit this course)
• maintaining loss of self-control 405   (one of my favorites)
• how to sabotage good relationships 202    (got an A++ in this one)
• ego building 104    (a favorite perennial offering I enjoyed)
• why you don't need God in your life 205   (the course curriculum is wild!)
• etc.

Hard Knocks University turns out some of the finest broken people in the world without teaching them how to handle the baggage that came with their degree and will carry with them for the rest of their lives.  That is the one huge shortcoming from attending the school.

So, for the sake of the argument, let's assume that maybe you have attended, at least on a part time basis at some point during your life, the School of Hard Knocks.  What to do about that nasty baggage they let you carry out when you left there?

Well, there is another school that is absolutely thrilled to accept anyone, and especially those who have previously attended the School of Hard Knocks.  It is called Christian University.  It is present literally everywhere in the world.  It is housed in churches.  There are satellite facilities called small groups.  And one can even attend this University in one's own home.  Here's what I have learned about Christian University, and it applies to any of us who make the choice to attend:

 

Jesus is the Principal

the Holy Spirit is my teacher

other Christians are my  classmates

the Bible is my study book

Trial, errors, and temptation are my exams

winning others for Christ are my assignments

prayer is my attendance

grace and redemption is the locker for my baggage

the Crown of Life is my degree

praise and worship is the motto

and Heaven is the graduation present.

 

I'm certainly glad that I found that.  It was easy to enroll, and the tuition is free.  All I'm asked to do is yield myself, forgive and be forgiven, and let the headmaster (God) do His work in me.  Satisfaction is guaranteed.