Critical to My Christian Life

Yesterday a friend asked me what I would say is the best habit to have spiritually in your life and what is an attitude that I think is crucial. My response for the best habit was to spend time daily in the Word of God as the Spirit can use it to change us. And going along that same line, the best attitude would be to have a teachable attitude, i.e. "Lord, teach me whatever it is You want me to learn and change me."

After thinking about it some more, I really believe what I said. The thing is a habit is not too difficult to develop. Meeting with the Lord at the same time every day so that I can be in His Word has not been too hard. If I don't spend time in His Word I really miss it. It's a part of me.

But to approach the Word with a teachable attitude is not as easy. I think it may be simpler to just read the Word. And that for me is easy. I love to read. Even though I've read through the Scriptures a number of times, I still enjoy reading them. So here is the scary part: I CAN read them and walk away UNCHANGED.

I do believe the Spirit uses the Word to change us and I believe He has been changing me through the years. But this answer has made me question myself. Have I changed as much as I could have? Obviously the answer is no, but I think I may have hit upon a great hindrance - myself being teachable. I have not come as that teachable person, but as a good Christian woman wanting to do what she knows she should - spending time reading the Word of God each day.

To develop the habit of asking the Lord to teach me whatever it is He wants me to learn and to change me? I am challenged by my own words, realizing how very far I fall short of doing this. I know the Scriptures where it says,

      Your word is a lamp to my feet

    And a light to my path.  Psalm 119:105

and

      Your word I have hidden in my heart,
    That I might not sin against You.   Psalm 119:11

But do I put these into practice? Is His Word a lamp for my feet? Is it a light for my path? Yes, I memorize Scriptures but is it really so that I won't sin against Him?

I want to be quiet and ask Him to teach me so that I might truly know Him better. It's what He desires and yet I often forget it. I NEED to ask Him to teach me. When I approach Him with a teachable frame of mind, it puts me in the place I need to be: humble before Him and open to what He wants to say; what He wants to teach me... personally.