“Blessed are they who seek Him with all their heart.” – Psalm 119:2
NBA great Michael Jordan said, “My best skill was that I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn.” In a word, he was teachable.
People who are teachable don’t presume to have all the answers. They’re open to learning more, even when they’re already successful.
Matthew the tax collector was teachable. Matthew was good at his job and was financially successful. He was despised by his family, though, for working for the Romans. When Matthew heard Jesus speak about God’s peace, he paid attention. By opening his mind to Jesus’ message, he made room in his heart for the peace he was seeking, both in his heart and in the relationships damaged by his occupation. He subsequently stopped collecting taxes, followed Jesus, and let our Lord use him to write down His life story and His words – in what we call the Gospel of Matthew.
Are you teachable? Maybe you’ve been hearing Matthew’s and the other gospels since your childhood. You’ve got a pretty decent understanding of what Jesus taught. Consider, though, that life is always changing; your circumstances and challenges today aren’t the same as they were before. Ask Him to help you understand how His teachings relate to your life now.
Seek Him with all your heart – read or listen to the scriptures with an open mind to understand His words in a new light and on a deeper level, one that brings you closer to Him. No matter what we already know or how successful we’ve been in our work or personal lives, God wants us to understand and experience more of His love and peace. If there’s turmoil in your life, ask Him for guidance and then pay attention to the thoughts that come to mind regarding that issue. Maybe there’s a different way you can handle the situation; an idea you hadn’t thought of before might come to you. If you get a sense of peace when considering that option, that’s a clue the Spirit is guiding you.
Open your heart to receive God’s message in a new way. Learn from Him and let Him bring you closer to Him. Be teachable as Michael Jordan and Matthew were in their respective fields, even in times of success.
“Lord, I know You want me to be closer to You. Let me understand You and Your words on a deeper level.”
Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell Comments are always welcome!
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p.s.
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