I Want To Be Teachable!

Have an open mind!

When I hear that statement, I want to cringe and immediately feel like I need to be prepared to defend my beliefs.

But, let's truly consider the importance of having an open mind…

We are to continually and intentionally grow in our faith and understanding of God's Word, right? Paul writes:

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:9-10

As we grow spiritually, there will be evidence of that growth in our daily life, including loving, understanding, and obedience to God's Word. But, how are we going to allow that to happen if we are attached to the ways of the world? If we don't have an open mind and humble ourselves to the fact that God has a perfect plan, and His Word is the only one we need to live by, then will we ever be able to grow spiritually?

Just the other day, another mom (who, I am sure, considers herself a Christian) suddenly started ranting about how awful spanking is. She went on to say that she and her husband argued about this and that he disagreed with her. I shared with her that spanking actually is a biblical form of discipline--and there is scripture to back that up, but that it should not be done in anger. I also shared that my husband and I had recently implemented it with our youngest son. During the entire time I was explaining this, she would not even look at me and kept shaking her head in judgement. Her mind was clearly closed to the very Word of God.

In order to be teachable and grow spiritually, we must be open to change and to the realization that what we once thought or supported might be unbiblical. Living in this world, it is easy to be influenced by worldly ways and opinions.

How about submission to your husband? The very word "submit" makes some Christian wives cringe.

Should we cringe at God's perfect plan for every aspect of our lives, or should we be in awe of His greatness, complete understanding, and forethought?

I know there are many hot topics out there, even among Christians, but if we simply put aside our emotions and our opinions and open our minds to the Word of God, we can grow and follow His perfect plan for our lives. Yes, it is a perfect plan! It is only when we try to tweak, twentyfirst century-ize, or ignore the parts we don't like, that we struggle. As Christians, are we placing our trust in our creator's word or are we trusting in our emotions and the ways and institutions of this world?

Seeking the wisdom of godly people, who are speaking with biblical wisdom, is so important because just as "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Sometimes I wonder if this struggle to take and seek advice is due to the fact that we don't have the multi-generational mentoring that once took place.

My prayer is that I will continue to grow in my biblical womanhood, be open to His Will, and humbly seek godly council when faced with decisions. It is so easy to defend or justify things we have "always done" or things that "everyone else does," but it is spiritual growth when we shed ourselves free from ways that prevent us from growing and ultimately glorifying God.

I want to have an open mind; I want to be teachable!