Use it or lose it

But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. (Luke 7:35)

So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.

(Luke 8:18)

We must be willing to listen with a heart that is open. Closed hearts may hear, but they seldom receive what they are hearing. They reject it or ignore it. A wise person didn't become wise by accident. It didn't happen by osmosis. They paid attention, considered what they heard, tested it to see if it was true, and then they acted upon the truth. A listening heart is willing to pay the price to truly 'listen'.

We aren't to embrace everything we hear, but when God speaks, he will make truth clear. The enemy of our souls won't make his lies clear, but that won't stop some from embracing them lock, stock, and barrel. Wisdom affects our lives. We begin to behave differently. We choose a better path because we see the lies in the path the enemy offers. If we truly have embraced what God has taught us, we will have a noticeable change in the way we act.

We will open ourselves to one form of teaching over another. Some learn by seeing - be an example for them. Some learn by hearing - be a messenger of grace. Some will learn by experience - provide good experiences for them. There is no end to learning when one's heart remains open to hearing truth. The danger comes in thinking there is no more to learn in this life. While there is nothing new under the sun, there is always more truth to be discovered, even in the truth we have already learned.

God's Word, time spent at his feet, and the good examples we find around us in his other followers will always yield some element of wisdom for our lives. Use what you have been taught. You will gain more wisdom if you do. My dad always used to say, "Use it or lose it". He may have been onto something there! Reject truth or ignore it and you may just find yourself floundering because you did. Just sayin!