All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16–17)

Having a new puppy means I spend a lot of my time training him. We’re working on potty training, walking on a leash, staying calm at mealtimes, and not nipping when he plays or wants attention.

A lot goes into training a puppy, and I know I can’t do it all on my own. Until Charlie has all his puppy vaccines, I can’t take him to a professional trainer, and I want to do what I can to help him establish good habits before the bad ones become his normal behavior. To do this, I watch YouTube videos, read articles, and talk to friends who have dogs.

In the same way that I’m studying how to train Charlie, we should also spend time in our training as Christians. Reading the Bible is the best way we can do this. God has provided everything we need to know about living an abundant life in his Word. We can also spend time with Christian friends, attend church, dive into Bible studies, watch videos, and read blogs or articles.

Whatever we do, we should pray and invite the Lord to show us what he wants us to learn. He will also give us discernment about other sources that interpret his Word for us. With his help, we will continue to grow more like Jesus every day.

Dear Jesus, thank you for providing training materials so that we can know you. Help us learn and grow and become more like you. Amen.