Ready or Not, Here I Come

(Pro 5:12 KJV)  And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

As a parent, a grandparent and a once-upon-a-time teacher I have seen a lot of rejection.  Children can be defiant and hostile to your wisdom.  It happens.  Don’t get that confused with not being ready to learn.  There are actually measurable qualities in the minds of children that decide whether they are ready to learn.  It is true in the physical world.  I did not learn to ride a bike until I was half way through elementary school.  I was out of college and in seminary before it dawned on me what give-and-go meant in basketball.  Suddenly it all made sense.  The same can be true in spiritual matters.  

They are always ready to learn obedience.  “Because I said so” is often the only fall-back that works.  Don’t be afraid to use it.

So?  We often talk about doing an attitude check on ourselves.  Perhaps it is a good idea to apply it to the learners in our lives.  Are they having a hard time because they refuse or because they are not yet capable?