HomeWord - Sept. 9, 2009

Open to Instruction
This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. —Psalms 32:5

2004 Olympic gymnasts Terin Humphrey and Courtney McCool trained in our hometown. Each girl trained thousands of hours perfecting position, form and routine. Coaches spent endless amounts of time and energy preparing the girls for their Olympic tryouts. While hundreds of girls tried out for a coveted spot on the United States Olympic gymnastics team, only a handful made it. What made the difference? The ones who made it were open to instruction. They listened to the critique and instruction of the coaches and made the changes being asked of them. Stubbornness, pride and hard-headedness landed many girls on the bench. But those who were willing to heed instruction went on to chase Olympic dreams.

Proverbs 13:13 reads, He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. And Proverbs 19:20 states, Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Most of us would do well to learn from this wisdom. Too often, we insist on doing things our own way, thinking our own way is right. As a result, we create turmoil for those around us and ourselves. The ugly word for this is pride. Pride thinks of me first. It's the attitude that says, "I'm right, you're wrong." "It's my way or the highway." But Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said, He who obeys instruction guards his life, be he who is contemptuous of his ways will die. Proverbs 19:16

Today, wherever we find ourselves, it's likely that some opportunity to either receive or reject instruction will come our way. Our challenge will be to choose to be open to instruction, remembering that the Scriptures tell us that pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall, and whomever gives heed to instruction prospers.

GOING DEEPER:

Are you open to instruction or do you dismiss help offered to you?

FURTHER READING:
James 1:5; Proverbs 16:18; Proverbs 16:20