| “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” |
| —Psalm 25:4-5 |
During my ten years as the director of the fire protection engineering training department at the insurance company where I worked for 30 years, I had the opportunity to participate in an in-depth study about the way adults learn. Just as children have a variety of ways that they receive and process factual information, adults also have a more mature version of those same three basic styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.
Some adults prefer to hear about the facts through lectures (auditory). Others prefer to see the facts presented either by reading or demonstration (visual). Still others prefer to learn the facts by physically experiencing through participatory exercises where they can get their hands on equipment to hold and touch objects or perform physical activities (kinesthetic).
Especially where the learning involves some action the learners must eventually take on their own, most adults want a combination of these learning styles, where a knowledgeable individual will show them what they need to learn how to do, explain the basis or background information related to that task, and then give them the opportunity to perform the task themselves. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the Psalmist, King David, would pen these words recorded in Psalm 25:4-5:
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
As believers in God—through His Son, Jesus—we rely on God to instruct us in the ways of holiness. Because He is holy, God wants to imbue us with His righteousness, so that we can become holy, as He is holy. To do this, God needs to show us His ways.
The principal way we learn God’s ways is to study the Bible. God has given us His written Word in order to teach us about Himself and help us apprehend His truth. A significant part of that truth is the revelation of His holiness and the behaviors that flow from that holiness. Once we have apprehended His truth, God then gives us opportunities to put what we’ve learned into practice. He gives us a laboratory in our daily lives, wherein we can apply His truth to the circumstances and flow of our pathway.
As we begin another day, let’s ask God to show us His ways. Then, let’s spend time reading, studying, and meditating on His written Word. The Holy Spirit will take our efforts and give us insight into who God is and how, through Christ, we can become more and more like Him.
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, October 9, 2017
