Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 9 – Proverbs 19:20 – Accept Instruction – Growing As Disciples
Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Proverbs 19:20 (NIV)
Listen To Advice
I think I have learned my lesson. I hope I have learned my lesson. I pray that I have learned my lesson. What lesson are you talking about? I think and hope and pray that I have learned to listen to advice and accept instruction. Has this been a hard lesson for you to learn? You know the answer to that question. Nothing is hidden from you. That’s right. Yes, it has been a hard lesson for me to learn. Why is that? It is very hard for a “know it all” to listen to advice and accept instruction. Have you been something of a “know it all’? A little bit. Now, aren’t you funny? I have been far more than a little bit of a “know it all.” I have also thought that I am “almost never wrong.” That is a problem, isn’t it? Yes, it is a huge problem.
Tell me why it is a huge problem to be a “know it all” and an “almost never wrong” kind of person. First of all, I want to become like you. You want me to become like you. It is both your and my goal that I become like you. Proudly thinking that I “know it all or that I am “almost never wrong” is nothing like you. You were not filled with pride. You were filled with humility. If I am to become like you, I will need to trade in my pride for your humility. Yes, you will. That is absolutely true.
Why is it a foolish and dangerous mistake to give others the impression that you think you “know it all” and are “almost never wrong?” What are the consequences of these prideful attitudes? If others think I won’t listen to advice or accept instruction, then they won’t take the time or make the effort to tell me what I need to hear. They will let me go on my own way into the pain and trouble and suffering that could have been avoided. I will not be the beneficiary of the wisdom others would be willing to share with me. You won’t be able to speak into my life through the wisdom of the people around me. I will have no sounding boards. I will accept no feedback. My life could be heading for a train wreck without anyone to warn me, simply because my pride would not allow me to listen to advice or accept instruction. That’s true.
I will tell you a little secret. What’s that? If you are unwilling to listen to others, you will also be unwilling to listen to me. The pride that will cause you to fail to listen to advice and accept instruction from others, will also prevent you from hearing and following and obeying me. Of that, I am positive. Will you humbly listen to advice and accept instruction from me and others? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.
Lord, I cannot tell you how often I have thought I knew it all. What a mistake. I have frequently given others the impression that I was unwilling to listen to advice and accept instruction. Another big mistake. Help me now to eagerly accept advice and instruction. Amen
Key Question… When have you been positive that the Lord spoke into your life through advice and instruction from others?
Living It Out… Eagerly accept and carefully listen to advice and instruction that the Lord wants to give to you.
Seeing It Happen… Have faith that the Lord will often give you advice and instruction through people He brings into your life.
Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord has given you advice and instruction to follow.
Prayer To Bless Others… May you humbly listen to advice and accept instruction.
For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here;
Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.
Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.
By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved Copying not permitted www.GrowingAsDisciples.com
