Don’t Learn Your Theology From Me
Whenever I had odd symptoms, I used to turn to “Doctor Google.” A quick scan through a few articles on the internet and suddenly I was dying of a rare, unheard of disease. After panicking and bringing my concerns to my husband, he would try to reassure me that all is fine with my health. Of course, I wouldn’t believe him because I had read a few articles online that clearly said otherwise. I would make an appointment with our family doctor who would then assure me that I am completely normal and nothing is abnormally wrong. Finally, a wise pastor gently counselled me, “Stop googling your symptoms, Lara.”
In the same way that you shouldn’t diagnose yourself with Google, I don’t want you to learn your theology from me. I don’t mind being your starting point or launching pad, but don’t make me your final authority. Don’t decide your theological stance based on what I say in a few hundred words. Be encouraged by me, be stirred by me to study further, but don’t make me the end point of the journey. There are better sources out there than me.
Who Am I?
I’m another random voice on the internet. I don’t have any fancy degrees, I am not a professional, and I don’t have any special knowledge that you can’t find elsewhere. Marketing gurus say I shouldn’t be telling you this—I should be selling myself as a valuable and necessary source on my niche topic. I should be propping myself up as a go-to expert on my niche subject.
But honestly, that’s not true. I don’t want to lead anyone to believe that about me (though I do fight with pride that says I should). I am simply a woman saved by the grace of God, a wife, a mom, and a lover of words and theology. I write not because I am an authority on anything, but because I want to share what God is teaching me. I saw my knowledge was puffing me up, so I chose to share my knowledge as a way to edify and love the church.
My goal as a writer isn’t to tell people what to believe, comment on controversy, or point out the holes in everyone else’s theology. I seek to encourage the weary and point the hungry back to Christ. I want to stir people like you to love God with both your mind and heart, pointing you back to greater sources. If you glean something from me, I am so thankful that God would use me, but don’t consider me a primary resource. Learn first from the Bible, then discern solid theologians, teachers, and preachers to learn from as well. Learn some of the creeds too, because they have stood the test of history.
If you read one article from me and then went on to read Calvin, Bavinck, Horton, Fesko, Pink, and never again came back to me, I am learning to be okay with that. I hope to follow the example of John the Baptist and say, “Let Christ increase, and let me decrease,” (John 3:30).
Go Deeper Than Instagram to Learn
May I also give you another humble encouragement? Don’t learn your theology from social media either. Spend less time reading up on the latest controversy and finding out what everyone’s opinion is on it. Spend more time reading or listening to your Bible. Spend more time reading weighty articles written by excellent writers. Spend more time consuming solid content.
Don’t be afraid to go deep, to challenge yourself with heavier books and podcasts. Start small, then challenge yourself. You don’t need to start with an entire systematic theology. Read a section of it. Start with a book like Jen Wilkin’s on the character of God, None Like Him, then try A.W. Pink’s The Attributes of God. Don’t underestimate what you’re capable of learning and understanding.
Let social media and writers like me encourage you and push you to go deeper, but please don’t stop there. Our theology has a rich history, and was passed down to us with bloody hands. Let’s not reduce it to memes. Let’s study it, treasure it, and be changed by it. There is so much more to learn, and so many more places to find truth, beauty, and goodness.
