Working Like a Mule

Today's Bible reading came from Psalm 32. Verse 9 caught my attention.

Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bridle and rein to hold them in check, otherwise they will not come near you.

I'm deathly afraid of writing this next sentence - so I'm just going to do it. It reminded me of my ex-wife. You've met people like this. They just won't do the right thing unless you force them to do it. It really drives me crazy. I have a hard time fathoming that. You're supposed to do the right thing because it's the right thing.

I've talked before about going too far in the other direction. Where everything became about rules and regulations. And it took God's teaching to understand that those rules can't replace Him. I still have to be very specific when I ask Vania to do some task. She has limited understanding because of her brain development. And I am so thrilled when she does something beyond it.

Deanna and Lucy are another matter. I expect a much higher level of understanding. I think this is what the New Testament refers to as maturity. Too often, I think of maturity as being less naive. I'm questioning that today. What if maturity means understanding? That endless thirst to learn more.

King Solomon, in Proverbs, said the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. At that point, he assumed that you want wisdom. That wisdom is something worth pursuing. We are designed with an infinite capacity to learn.

I'm not just talking about memorization. We've taught monkeys and dolphins memorization. I'm talking about deep learning. Not just facts, but reasons, lessons. Understanding is the point where learning changes your life. A horse can be led and will follow. But set them loose, and all of that goes away. They will naturally revert to their wild natures.

That's a sad thing to watch in a human being. Paul calls this the fruit of the flesh. God's very first command was rule over the earth and subdue it. The spirit subdues the flesh. It is the bridle and rein that leads the horse. God's Spirit leads my spirit. My spirit leads my flesh. Understanding is the mechanism that changes raw facts about the world into a spiritual action.

What are your thoughts?