Proverbs 4: Being Teachable

I feel like i'm sensing a kinda pattern to how these Provbers are being written: The first couple verses deal with that chapter's main point, then he talks about how awesome that point is to Wisdom (it's rewards for you), then he warns you about the consequences if you don't adapt his main point, and then finishes with practical things to do or not to do in order to attain the main point. So far i've always felt like the most important verses to me were near the front of the chapters, and i was like "dang, i really am reading these things! Why am i not finding such impacting in the middle!" And this pattern i've thought up is probably wrong, just an observation i believe i've mad.

The main point of Proverbs 4 is the challenge to be a good student of Wisdom, to be teachable, like a son is taught by his father. We believe that some of these Proverbs are Solomon writing directly to his son, giving him words to hold on to for the future so he could also be a God-fearing and hearing king. I don't think it worked out so well, i'm pretty sure that Scripture tells us Solomon's son that takes the throne next turns out to be a really bad dude. But anyway, Solomon says in verse 1 "listen as your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn...for I am giving you good guidance". If i'm not mistaken, in Jewish worship, the scriptures were read aloud in huge chunks at a time, so i believe this call to refocus was good and helpful. Imagine being in church and somebody was reading to you Proverbs 1-5 straight through, not stopping or expounding. I feel like even i would even start to let my mind wonder. But at this point, whoever is reading should be shouting a little at you these words "Listen!......Pay attention!....I am giving you good advice!". Cause it is, obviously. I think we, especially as young people brush off good advice for a lot of different little reasons. Because somebody we don't really like said it, or because we've heard it too many times. None of those things make it any less good and helpful, so we need to refocus on it. I mean, isn't it true that sometimes when your parents give you advice and you'll think it's crazy and not listen, but somebody else could say the exact thing and you'll realize (most often angrily) your parents were right all along, and you just didn't wanna admit it?

So if we are humble enough to be teachable, and be good students in Wisdom class, then we'll be crazily blessed by the Lord (not in the lotta money lotta stuff way, but the Holy Spirit kinda way). I love verse 7, i read the NLT, and it translates that verse as "Getting Wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!", haha! that's an exact quote from my Bible, no lie. How awesome is that?!? Solomon urges us to "take hold of my instructions, don't let them go". Dang yo, not just in Wisdom, but in following Christ as a whole, if we did that...the way God would work through us to impact the world would be intoxicating.

Practical application of this point i believe is just to really be listening and learning from all the "teachers" you have in your life, spiritual ones for sure and the good just life coaches that we have. That could mean parents, pastors, good friends, or even your actual school teachers (yeah right, everybody knows only some college professors are really that cool) ;). I totally believe in the power of tutorship, and being mentored. I am soooo blessed that God has put a dozen different people in my life that i can learn from. I often say that i'm a "student of many rabbis", mostly because i especially need that to grow, but also i guess because Scriptures wisely advices us to. Find a mentor of some sort, make it legit, and follow through and learn from somebody. Amen?!? Amen