I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you (who are willing to learn) with My eye upon you. Psalm 32v8
Christianity is a continual learning curve! When you are born again you enter into life long learning of the ways of God. Our heavenly Father is constantly watching over us, and the Holy Spirit has been sent by Jesus to teach us how to live conformed to His image, and do everything for the glory of God. Teaching and learning is a relational partnership that walks in the same direction with the same goals in mind. To achieve the desired goal, there needs to be willingness on both sides. God’s Spirit is always willing to teach us, but sometimes we are not so willing to learn the lessons. In the natural world, the best and most dedicated teachers cannot teach an unwilling student, or one that refuses to come to lessons.
Children are like wee sponges that soak up (learn) from everyone around them. These can be good and helpful lessons, or lessons that leave them confused and unsure of what life is really all about. If you grew up in an abusive home, you may have learned certain behaviours that were self-protective, but caused you to build a wall about your emotions, or behave in an aggressive way. We learn behaviours by following the behaviours of the people around us, and often just accept the world view that we’ve been brought up in, which can be either harmful or helpful.
When we are born again, we have to relearn so many behaviours and attitudes, replacing the ingrained ones of life without God, with the newness of life in the Spirit. I know I’ve had to change so many learned behaviours that I developed growing up in a godless home. I had to learn and develop a Biblical world view. I had to learn (still learning!) self-discipline and becoming Spirit controlled rather than behaving as I have always done. Like all students, some lessons have been easier to learn than others. There are lessons that will take me a life time to learn, and some lessons that I haven’t even heard of yet!
I’ve met many people who say “God loves me just the way I am”, and that is true. He does, but He never intended us to stay “just the way I am”. If He did, the New Testament would have ended with the resurrection of Christ. The Epistles make up most of the New Testament and are full of instructions to Christians to put off the old way of doing things, and put on the new. Reading them and applying them is going to God’s school with the goal of being conformed to the image of Christ. That’s what Christianity is all about. That is what we are to learn. But to learn God’s Ways, we must be willing to be taught by His Spirit who uses His Word.
God is ever watchful and ever ready to teach us what we need to know in our individual lives, but we need to be willing to learn. To learn, we must be attentive to His Word. Bible reading is not an optional extra for those who have more free time on their hands. It is as necessary for Christian growth and development as it is for a child to learn to read, write and know arithmetic if they want to get on in life.
Instruct us, teach us and counsel us in the way we should go, O Lord, and help us to be willing to learn Your Ways through Your Word by Your Spirit. Amen.
