You Can Always LEARN Something!
The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is rarely true. I think a better statement is, “You can’t teach a stubborn old dog new tricks.” The truth is, we have the capacity to learn something new every day – and even many times during every day.
I’ve learned a few things over the years. Dad gave me some great advice when he told me, “When you’re in a room of older, wiser men, listen more than you speak.” I’ve practiced that over the years and it has paid off in a lot of learning. Let me share with you some things that will help you both in your family life, your friendships, your professional life, and most importantly – your spiritual life.
Learning requires LISTENING. If you’re not listening you will miss much of what you need to learn. Not listening isn’t just closing your ears off to sound, either. It’s not paying attention to your spouse, children, friends, God, or your pastor. It’s thinking about what you’re going to say in response while another is speaking. It’s tuning out another because you think you know more than them or you’ve already learned that item. Listening requires humility and love, AND it shows respect for the one speaking. Practice listening and you’ll learn something.
Learning also requires HUMILITY. Like listening, if you are unwilling to acknowledge that you don’t know everything, then you’ll never learn anything. When we bury our pride we put ourselves in a place to learn from others. I’ve even learned things from people I didn’t necessarily agree with on many issues. Sometimes we’ll even learn from our enemies when we practice what Jesus said and pray for them. It’s amazing.
Lastly, learning requires ACTION and many times a CHANGE in course. At times we don’t learn because we’re not willing to put in the practice. God tells us to be “DOERS” of the Word, not just hearers. I don’t learn a new thing when I just hear my spouse, parent, child, friend, pastor, or God. No, I learn it when I put it into practice.
So where is all of this going? Well, learning is important in every area of our life, but it’s of ULTIMATE importance when it comes to our spiritual life. EVERY TIME we encounter God’s Word in our personal study time, in a small group, or in a worship service – we must LISTEN, HUMBLE ourselves, and CHANGE.
I realized many years ago that when I open God’s Word, the One Who created all things will be speaking to me. The God of the Universe has come to speak. How prideful and arrogant of me to think that I can hear it and not adjust my life to what He is saying?
God has given us all that we need in His Word to know Him and follow Him in our life. The questions is:
Will I LISTEN, HUMBLY receive, and ACT on what God has given me?
I challenge you to adjust the way you respond to God’s Word. When you hear it read, listen intently. When you’ve heard it, humbly receive it. And when you’ve received it, ACT on what He has said.
When my boys were little and I really wanted them to listen carefully I would say, “Look at my face…” When they did, I knew they had heard clearly. Each day and each Sunday, let’s focus on the face of God as we hear His Word so that we can learn something new for the life He’s called us to.