Proverbs 21:11- “When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;

when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge”

One of the joys of parenting is getting to teach your son, or daughter a new skill. Maybe you remember teaching them to take their first steps. Perhaps you remember teaching them how to swing a baseball bat, throw a football, or ride a bike. Do you remember how great it felt when they finally “got” it?

No doubt, for every such victory you have experienced several frustrations. Maybe it was poor instruction on your part, inability to follow instructions on their part, or something else. We get it, it’s life things don’t always work out.

Probably my greatest frustration in trying to teach my children a new skill or a new subject is when they make up their mind that they “know what they are doing” before they have a clue. Parents, have you ever been there? You know, when a child tunes you out because they “know what you are going to say” only to prove, that they had no idea what you were going to say? Here is the thing… We are guilty of this very thing more often than we would like to admit, when it comes to God’s instructions.

I have never met a Christian who would tell me that they “know enough Bible”. However, I sure have met a lot of Christians who act like “they know enough Bible.” You know, those individuals who have been in the church for quite some time and they know how things “ought to be done.” The individuals who studied a “hot topic” issue 10 years ago, formed a conclusion, and are unwilling to study the issue again. The individuals who hear a familiar bible verse mentioned in a lesson, and tune out because they’ve “heard that verse 1,000 times” only to tune out before hearing what that verse actually means. Admit it, you’re guilty. So am I. It is easy for us to believe that we have it all figured out (though we would never actually say that we have it all figured out). It is easy for us to think that others should listen to what we have to say.

Let us all remember… “When a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge”. When is the last time you sat through a Bible class, sermon, lecture, and learned something new? Let us continue to seek knowledge. Grow deeper in our faith. Understand things better than we used to. Be teachable, no matter how much you already know.