“I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.”

How often have I walked away from sound learning? Sadly, I must confess that I’ve done that way too often in my life. I knew better. I had learned better. But I chose poorly. Some choices had short-term ramifications and were not so painful. Others had long-term consequences. Some, I’m still reaping the penalties for. All of them left me missing the blessing of God in that circumstance. Thankfully, they have also left me wiser and making better choices as life moves forward. We’ve talked numerous times about the sources of sound learning. Today, I want to reflect for just a moment on why—and the consequences of—ignoring it. Sometimes we ignore sound teaching because, after following it for a season, we think we no longer need it. It’s like the kid whose parents direct their life when they’re small, and then they hit an age where they feel like they can make better decisions on their own. They leave sound teaching out of pride or a desire for independence. Adolescence might be one of the greatest causes of leaving sound teaching. I had a therapist friend who once said adolescence is like chickenpox. Everybody gets it. Some get it worse than others, and our goal is to prevent any more scars than necessary. Sound teaching is repeated. Peter talked about repeating and teaching the basics of the faith over and over so that when he was finally gone, they would remember them. Good strategy. Today, cling to the sound teaching you’ve received. #BeTheEdge

“I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,” 2 Peter 1:13 NIV