Teachable

"The wise are glad to be instructed, but the babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity have a firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall." Proverbs 10:8-9

I had someone tell me recently, "I don't like being told what to believe." Regardless of whether we're being told what to believe or not, the reality is we're all going to ultimately decide for ourselves. So, I didn't really challenge the point. However, the "nobody's telling me anything" spirit does cross into the stupid zone pretty fast. If someone tells us to not touch the hot stove or to not run out into traffic and we do anyway ... you get the point.

In the verses for the day, the writer of the Proverbs draws one strong distinction between the wise and the foolish. The wise are glad to be instructed. The babbling fool isn't interested in being taught. Instruction is not on their "must have" list. We can learn through the wisdom of others or by crashing and burning ourselves. When the wise act on the instruction, they discover a firm footing while others slip and slide and eventually fall. 

I'd love to tell you that I'm the most teachable person in the world, but that would be less than honest. For some crazy reason, I think I have to learn the hard way from time to time. By God's grace, those moments seem to come at longer intervals. What's your pattern? My guess is, like me, God has put some wonderful people in your life who genuinely care about you and who would be a great resource for you to help navigate this crazy thing called life. Perhaps it's time to give them a call.

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