Not too long ago I was hanging out with a group of young adults. They have a bright future ahead of them and the world is their oyster. As the conversation was progressing, I noticed that my advice or my intelligent counterpart’s advice was being rejected. My brain naturally took me to a place of bruised ego and arrogance, “Do these kids know what I just got done doing today? I saved the company a quarter of a million dollars and ran KPIs to show progress, all in one day!”.
‘Wisdom is the principal thing;
-Proverbs 4:7
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.‘
To be fair, they know everything they know and do not know anything that they do not. Was I not them once? Am I not them now? I get hung up on words like, “I prefer to do it this way”, or “we, in our generation”. Used to irk me to no end but then my conversation with a sweet old friend set me straight. He said, “I am not religious, I am spiritual”. He is a good 2 decades older than me. We were talking about Jesus and He was convincing me that though raised a Christian, he does not need to go to church or read the Bible because he is spiritual, He knows right from wrong and will live his life that way.
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit knocked me off the judgement train and put a thought in my head. “How different is this from the kids you spoke to the other day?”. It is not. I am like them; we are like them when it comes to listening to God. We do not know all the mechanics of everything. We do not know anything outside of what we see and perceive.
‘“Who is this who darkens counsel
-Job 38:2-3
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
If God said those words He told Job, I would not be prepared at all. I think what is needed here desperately for me is the ability to learn. Is that not what I would say to the group of young adults? I need an attitude of curiosity, amazement and wonder, waiting each day to be taught and retaught by the best teacher in the whole wide world – Jesus, our very own Rabboni.
Dear God,
You are a wonderful, marvelous teacher taking time to grow and groom us each day. Please grant me the goodness to be teachable and receptive to You and Your word. I pray in Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.