Your Teachers

Good teachers are motivated by concern for their pupils. Teachers want to help students mature and develop their natural abilities in order to fulfill their potential.

Central to this process is warning them of problems they might face. Teachers also acquaint them with what others have done, so they can see what worked and what didn’t work. Teachers can help students discover what can be learned from these experiences.

But no matter the efforts of teachers, pupils react in many ways. Some simply are not interested in listening and ignore or reject warnings and advice. They are determined to do what makes sense to them, to follow their own desires and interests.

The Bible is filled with guidance to help us recognize these kinds of pitfalls, so we can do the right thing. The warnings of Proverbs 5 address male-female relationships specifically, but the principles here relate to every area of life.

If we want to be wise, we will cultivate the habit of listening. We won’t just trust our own inclinations, but we will learn from the experiences of others. We will seek discernment and perspective. We will realize that short-term pleasures may seem appealing, but making beneficial long-term decisions is more important. In your life, practice being sensitive to God’s leading. Be careful to whom you listen. Seek wise counselors, spiritually mature believers who are filled with the Spirit, who know God’s Word.