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Remaining Teachable |
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Article by Tom Gilbert — September
2006
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to
God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. (Proverbs
1: 7 – The Message)
No matter how intelligent we are or how much education
we have there is always more to learn. Nobody has all the answers. Only
the mind of God can make that claim.
Nevertheless, it is easy to become complacent at different
times in our lives. This seems especially true in our
various areas of expertise. It doesn’t matter whether
you are a lawyer, airline mechanic, plumber, preacher
or nuclear physicist. I think it is just human nature
at some point to think we have “it down pat” and
pretty much know all we need to know.
The Flash of Insight.
Despite this tendency, which I might be over generalizing,
there come times when we get a flash of insight and realize
our knowledge is finite. From that realization we also
recognize how much time it took to learn the things we
now take for granted.
Have you ever wondered why there are certain lessons
you need to learn over and over? What about the deeper
appreciation and understanding that comes from repetition?
Could it be that some of the life lessons we repeat teach
us on a deeper level than we realize?
Jesus was a teacher and his disciples sometimes addressed
him that way. To truly follow Jesus we must be forever
willing to learn, to be faithful students to The Way
that Christ points us to. We must remain teachable.
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How Do You Learn?
What’s the best way to learn something? That’s
a subject that is often researched and debated. We learn with all of our
senses and different people learn in different ways. However, I am convinced
that one of the best ways to learn on a deeper level is by sharing and
teaching what has been passed on to us. There is something about helping
someone else, “showing them the ropes” as it were, that can
give us insight with depth. I believe this is especially true when it comes
to spiritual matters.
When you honestly begin seeking answers to spiritual
questions it can give you a vastly more profound outlook
on life. I found that to be true in my experience. I
must admit to various “plateaus” of spiritual
growth over the years. I’m guilty at times of thinking
I understand God’s messages to me, only to discover
that I don’t have it figured out. One of the best
lessons I’ve learned is that I don’t have
it figured out and I never will! It’s important
to keep an open mind.
This doesn’t mean that I haven’t been taught
some spiritual truths. When faced with the decision of
God is or isn’t I really only have to know two
things if I choose to believe God is. First of all, there
is a God. Secondly, I’m not it.
The many subtle ways that we play God in our lives are
not always evident to ourselves. It’s difficult
to not try to be in control of people, places and things.
No matter how good our motives we will never be successful
if we try to make everyone else do what we want. A great
lesson to learn – and relearn – is that we
all have a part to play in life and we don’t know
what is best for others. Sometimes we think we do, but
when it really comes down to it we don’t know what
is best. That’s God’s area. What I need to
be most concerned with is what God wants for and from
me. God knows best. So I should focus on becoming fully
what God created me to be. Only then can I be a truly
useful channel of God’s love and service to others.
H-O-W
It’s okay not to have all the answers. It’s
even better to have questions. Remain teachable. Remember the acronym H-O-W.
It stands for honesty, open-mindedness and willingness.
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered
trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either
trademark for the offering of goods or services requires
the prior written consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used
by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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HEBREWS 2:1-4 |
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"We must pay more careful attention, therefore,
to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and
every violation and disobedience received its just
punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a
great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced
by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard
him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and
various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed
according to his will."
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(NIV) |
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