To Be or Not To Be -- Teachable

Currently I am reading through the Book of Proverbs during my morning devotions. Today brought me to chapter 23. Several things stood out to me which I wrote down, but I want to share from my journal, my thoughts about verse 12:

Apply your heart to discipline And your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12 (NASB95)

I had to ask myself, "What do I direct my heart and mind toward? Is it my desire to be teachable?"

God's Word tells me to apply my heart to instruction and listen to words of knowledge. The word "instruction" includes discipline. The ultimate source of moral and spiritual instruction and knowledge is God's Word. Am I earnestly committed to letting God instruct and discipline me through His Word? Do I listen to what He has to say? Am I open to God teaching and advising me through godly friends and leaders?

This involves more than just learning something with our mind or hearing with our ears. The old saying of "In one ear and out another" unfortunately is often true about our spiritual lives. But those things we commit our heart to, those are the things we retain. They become a part of us.

So let's learn to listen with spiritual ears to what God is saying and apply our hearts to learning what God wants to teach us--including words of discipline.