Are you open to instruction?
or closed-minded to learning…
'Teach me your way, Lord , that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead. ' Psalms 86:11-13
teachable - perhaps best to start with the definition: adjective - able to be taught; that can be taught. cambridge dictionary
for some time in my professional career with my old employer i was anything but. with success upon success and the ego that came along that i was the “shit”, little by little until it became something big, i refused to believe that others knew more or better than i did in the world of marketing (on and offline). while i did have the knowledge and real life application than the majority of the employees across the company, the arrogance that i knew more just fed my big head.
what was really stupid is that i stopped paying attention and improving, allowing me to get better and smarter in my craft. the gap between myself and others started to close and i still refused to accept criticism, try new approaches/techniques, learn updated technical skills, etc. over time, this led to my not growing (personally and professionally), simply content with what i had even knowing, or at least feeling, that i let opportunities that may have been God given to slip away because of my resistance to listen and receive when being taught.
when looking back and seeing how God interacted with me, wanting what’s best, asking me to trust Him, i do wish i was apt and willing to learn. as the verse says - “rely on your faithfulness”, instead of being a stubborn mule/ox who needs to be prodded by a goad to make me move.
it has taken some time, almost 2 decades, of unlearning the ways (spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically), that had kept me from being at my best. even while i believed and have a relationship with Jesus, a lot of those bad habits and processes were so engrained that it shows its ugly face from time to time. i have to make a conscious effort to not let those areas overrun what i know to be true - that God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.
i/we must praise and glorify Him daily, all the time, regardless of what situation i am in. making sure my heart, mind, and soul is in alignment with His. know that His Promises and Words are something i can hold on to as it will come to past in due time.
Lord, thank you that you are never far away. that you give me the opportunity to learn and grow despite my mistakes and failures. Holy Spirit, please fill me and my family with your presence as i need your guiding hand on our lives. may we live it out to the full for your glory Father God. in Jesus’ name i pray, amen!