“Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?”” (John 14:9NIV)
Among the things we must know how to maximise are opportunities to learn. Truly, education, whether in spiritual things or natural things, is never cheap. But there are times in life that we are presented with opportunities to learn or to be educated in certain matters of life free of charge. And what we make of such opportunities at such times may be the difference between failure and success for us in life.
Therefore, wherever you are, always keep your eyes opened to recognise opportunities to learn, especially for free. And once you recognise them, be determined to make the most of them. Pay attention. Ask relevant questions. Volunteer to serve. Go some extra miles. Stay longer than you are required to. Just make sure you do whatever honourable thing you can do to learn whenever and wherever opportunities to do so show up. And you will someday be glad you did.
But will you recognise your opportunities to learn and make yourself better fit to handle life? And if you do recognise them, will you do all you can to make the most of them?
In our opening bible text, our Lord Jesus queried one of His apostles, Philip, for asking Him a certain question? Why? It was because the man had stayed long enough with Him to know the answer to the question he was asking. So, hanging around someone of great knowledge, wisdom or substance for a very long time does not mean we are going to learn anything at all from them or even recognise our opportunities to learn from them.
Rehoboam, son of Solomon, was forty-one years old when he became king in his father’s place (1Kings 14:21). So, he must have had at least thirty years of diverse opportunities to learn from his father, Solomon. Yet when he became king, he proved through his conduct that he did not learn enough from his father to sustain the kingdom he had handed down to him. Yes, his father was the wisest man that ever lived before our Lord Jesus came. But all that did not matter, seeing that he did not make the most of the privilege and opportunities he had to have such a man as his father.
Perhaps you too are now making the same mistake Rehoboam made. You are ignoring or despising the opportunities or privileges you have to learn where you are or from certain people you are living with, working with, studying with or fellowshipping with. You need to wake up before it is too late. You need to drive yourself to learn as much as you can from them before the opportunity or privilege to do so is totally or finally taken away from you.
See, laziness, procrastination, pride or lack of concentration will not help you in this matter. These things are your enemies. So, you need to get rid of them along with any other evil trait that is preventing you from making the most of your opportunities to learn. Otherwise, a day may come when you, like Rehoboam, will lose what God has already graciously given you because you did not get enough knowledge, wisdom, understanding or discipline when you should have.
So then, let those words of Jesus to Philip wake you up from your slumber, as you ask yourself, “I have been here for such a long time. But how much I have learnt?”
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