getting a grip on instruction....

School is about to begin again this fall and the kids are gearing up for another year of instruction. Some are excited about this and some are already so bummed out about it that they are nearly defeated before the first school bell has rung or the first homework assignment has been given. Through the years I have come to understand that instruction and learning is a daily need throughout a persons lifetime. As cliche as that sounds, it is so true. Have you ever met someone who has become adamantly unteachable, or has simply stopped learning and growing? I have, and boy is it a major waste of my time to interact with them. No matter what pearls of wisdom you throw at them, you get nothing in return. Now, I must confess that I've had my days and weeks where I myself have camped out in such ignorance. But usually the conviction of the Holy Spirit, or the strong encouragement from my wife, shatters the facade that there's nothing I need to learn today.
Proverbs 4:13 says, "Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life!"

The truth is, school isn't some building we go to nine months a year for twelve plus years. Education is not something that ends once you've earned a degree. Life itself is a classroom, a laboratory of sorts, that challenges us to take from each lesson nuggets of truth that change us and mold us into more of what our Creator meant for us to be. Some lessons are tougher than others. Some lessons are loaded with tests, of which, some we pass and some we fail. God has made available His Spirit as a daily tutor in our lives. Some days we listen, absorb and apply the Spirit's promptings, and other days we just don't try. Most Sundays are designed to be a spiritual parent - teacher conference, where our overall performance is evaluated. Confession, repentance and obedience are the choices that ultimately improve our ability to be a better student in cooperation with our Divine tutor.

I don't know about you, but I have a lot to learn, as well as unlearn! Today I want to get a "firm grip on Instruction," as Solomon puts it. Schools in session, it's always been in session!!!