Teachable Really

by Dawn Stephens

The Word: The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him. - Proverbs. 31:1 (NASB)

The Story: Proverbs 31 has always been one of my favorite chapters of the Bible because it highlights the attributes of an amazing woman. Frequently, I skip the first few verses to focus only on the attributes of the Proverbs 31 woman. But in those first few verses of the chapter, I learn that the words I love so dearly are the words a king has been taught by his mother. In this case, a man that often spoke for God, as an oracle, recognized the value of the instruction he received from his mother enough to internalize and share.

The Reflection: Although I would like to believe that the king and I have this in common - the ability to recognize the value of wise instruction - this is not always the case. There are times that I am so judgmental or distracted that I fail to heed the wisdom of those who cross my path, and I often miss the significance of the uncomfortable situations I face. When I am aware of these lessons and I learn from my experiences, I then have to ask myself, "Am I sharing these lessons or hoarding them?

The Application: This week, consider what hard lessons you have had to learn because you didn’t want to follow wise counsel or heed the warning signs of a potentially perilous situation. What prevented you from making a wise decision? Finally, write down how you have or will share what you learned from this experience with others.