Even though at this particular time in my career I am only teaching one subject – social skills – I find that I still struggle to slow myself down and prioritize the deficits my students seem to be having. Why? Where do you begin when there are so many social rules and expectations that they simply do not seem to know or follow? Prioritizing such a need is hard because all the skills seem important! All of the skills are ones that are needed to function well!
While many of us may have learned these social skills by picking them up through observation and exposure – some people just don’t.
I often wonder how much of God’s expectations – God’s rules – we are missing out on because we have 1) misread the cues, or 2) were not explicitly taught? Culturally, it’s clear we are missing the mark – but even as a Christian sub-culture, I believe we too, have plenty of work to do. We have simply missed God’s teaching.
But what if we made it a point to revisit the areas we fall short? What if, like my students who get extra instruction, we self-elected to learn God’s ways and then actually apply them in our day-to-day lives? It’s not enough to know the skill. We have to use them.
So how do we get this kind of specialized instruction from the LORD? We ask Him for it! We acknowledge to Him that we need and desire to learn more about Him and His ways. When He provides – and He will provide – we ask Him to help us use what He has taught us and make it a part of our everyday life.
David asked God for this and God honored his request.
“Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O LORD my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.” (Psalm 86:11-13)
God isn’t interested in whether or not we know about Him. He is far more interested in whether we are living life for Him and with Him. He is not a one hour, one time per week, God. He’s not. And frankly, we don’t really want Him to be!
God wants us to demonstrate His presence and our response of obedience to Him daily. We cannot be godly just at church but live differently when we leave. We are called to a greater way of living. A greater way of being. Something better. Something bigger. Something godly.
LORD God, please teach us your ways. Reveal them to us. Help us to desire to live for you above all else. Point out to us the areas that still need work, and help us to be receptive to your correction and shaping. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Blessings!