Are YOU a lifelong learner?

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”  Henry Ford

  An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution to his audience. “You don't want to try these techniques at home.” “Why not?” someone asked him. “I watched my wife’s routine at breakfast for years,” the expert explained. “She made lots of trips between the refrigerator, stove, table, and cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her, ‘Hon’, why don’t you try carrying several things at once?’” “Did it save time?” the guy in the audience asked. “Actually, yes,” replied the expert. “It used to take her twenty minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in seven.”

  There’s some danger in being an expert. We have become a culture of “experts.” Have you noticed, that when someone is being interviewed in the media, they rarely pause or say, “I don’t know,” or ask a question? Wisdom doesn’t come naturally with age. None of us can know everything.

  For some aged saints, gray hair and a good head go hand in hand. Yet, for far too many, length of life merely entrenches stubbornness, irritability and a lack of willingness to have an opinion challenged. One can be an old fool as easily as a young one.

  May God deliver us from ever believing we’ve arrived. For the believer, the stakes are very high for cultivating a holy curiosity and having the mindset of a lifelong learner. Teaching, learning and application of truth are at the very heart of our faith. To be a “disciple” means to be a “learner.” Jesus is the Master Teacher. God designed the local church to be a community of lifelong learners under the guidance of leaders who are committed teachers.

  Christianity is not some limited course of study for the front-end of adulthood. Our mindset isn’t to first do our learning and then spend the rest of our lives drawing from that original deposit of knowledge. Being a healthy Christian is inextricably linked to ongoing learning.

  Schools are back in session. Summer is over and for families, weekday mornings are now a flustered rush to get to the big yellow bus in time, lunch in one hand, homework in the other. Students are off to learn their reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. At Grace, we utilize the school year to focus on small groups and classes for the learning of eternal truth. It’s an opportunity as a church family to stretch and encourage each other to strive to grow in biblical truth and Christlikeness. God’s will is for each of us to be teachable and lifelong learners, who apply truth in real life.

  A teachable person listens when God speaks and then adjusts their direction accordingly. Probably the most difficult part of being teachable is first admitting that we were wrong. So how teachable are you? If you’re not sure how you rate on the teachability meter, take this five-point quiz:

  1. You know you’re teachable when people give you input. When others feel free to share with you a word of improvement, it’s a good sign that you’re teachable. Most of us hate confrontation and no one wants to risk cleaning up a meltdown if the person can’t receive a difficult word. As in, “Don’t try to tell him he’s not headed in the right direction because he’ll bite your head off.” A fool is always deeply persuaded that what he is doing is right, yet a teachable person willingly receives input.

  2. You know you’re teachable when you see measurable growth and character development in yourself. If you’re growing more Christlike, changing for the better, you’re teachable. If you’re not the same person you were last year at this time, godly instruction has produced results in your life and you have grown because of it.

  3. You know you’re teachable when you don’t have to answer a critic with a defense. It’s so refreshing to sit down with a person who can hear difficult words with an open heart and without defensiveness. Those who are receptive to godly criticism, flourish and grow.

  4. You know you’re teachable when you don’t have to criticize back. The classic symptom of an unteachable person is that they’ll listen to what you say, all the while framing their comeback, “Now let me tell you something…” Are you able to keep your defenses down and your pride in check? Then, you’re probably a teachable person.

  5. You know you’re teachable when you’re learning new ways to grow. If people have been telling you the same things for years, you’re not teachable. If you’ve grown out of those old issues and are on to new lessons, you’re on the right track. Even if you recognize that you’ve been foolish, you don’t have to stay that way. The answer to foolishness is wisdom. It’s available in God’s book, through His Spirit, and often communicated through His people. It’s applicable. It has to do with your life right now. It will help you make decisions, stay the course, and grow in your faith. And it’s very fulfilling! Correcting your course with God’s help is not some awful thing. Proverbs 8:11 tells us, “Wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” 

  Warren Myers was an early missionary with the Navigators. Before his Homegoing at 78, he spent his life studying the Bible. He wasn’t perfect, so when he knew that he’d sinned, he was quick to own it and to ask for forgiveness from the Lord and from anyone else he’d wronged. Even just a few months before his death, while at lunch with a friend, he asked (it was his habit to ask countless questions) what Jesus had recently been teaching his friend. As his young friend began to share, Warren was taking notes for his own personal growth. Here he was at 78, still growing, still learning.

  That’s what God wants for each of us. May we all be like that! Learning to be more and more like Jesus until we finally meet Him face to face. 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. "

Stay in school...the school of life!

 “True humility is staying teachable regardless of how much

you already know.”

  There’s an old Taoist story about a student who comes to a master and asks the master to teach him. The master invites the student to sit with him and have tea. While they are sitting, the master starts to converse with the eager young student. But every time the master starts to explain a point, the student would interrupt him and say, "Oh, I know that, I do this when that happens, or I don't have that problem because…” Soon the master stopped talking and picked up the teapot. He began pouring tea into the student's cup. As the cup filled, he continued pouring until the cup overflowed and spilled out. The student shouted, “Stop! It is enough! My cup is full!” With that, the old master smiled and replied, “Yes, your cup is full, therefore I can teach you nothing until you empty your cup.”

  The moral of the story is clear. The student was unteachable. Instead of listening to the master, he wanted to show how much he already knew. He wasn’t open to learning anything new that he believed he’d already learned. His cup of knowledge was too full and he had to empty that cup before he could learn from the new master. Emptying your cup does not mean you must give up all that you’ve learned or forget all that you know. That’s silly. To empty your cup simply means to adopt a teachable attitude.

  The greatest enemy of a teachable spirit is pride. It’s not surprising in an unregenerate world. Pride is the first sin recorded, costing Satan heaven. Pride causes more to reject Christ and the need for the Cross than any other sin. It’s not surprising to find pride amongst those who don’t know Jesus.

  What’s sadly shocking is to find pride among those who should be the most humble. We’re the ones who join John Newton in his well-known refrain, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” Wretches have no basis for pride. I love the encouragement found in Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” Scripture teaches that a Christian is to have a very humble, teachable spirit.

  Oftentimes, what we become most arrogant and opinionated about would be laughable if we weren’t so inflexible in our opinions. For example, much of what is adamantly purported as right or wrong when it comes to parenting is merely opinion. Scripture never tells us what educational choice is best, how active or inactive our children should be, what time they should go to bed or get up. About the only things the Bible is clear on is that we’re to teach our children biblical truth and our goal must be godly children, not “good” ones…or successful ones.

  The same could be said of many other things that we’re sadly often so arrogantly adamant about: finances, food choices, career, vacation, time, athletic loyalty, entertainment options, politics…to name just a few.

  But there’s one characteristic that separates the successful from the unsuccessful in every walk of life: teachability. Those who are teachable and are lifelong learners, usually succeed. The unteachable typically fail. You’ll observe this in education, career, business, marriage, parenting, ministry, Christian walk and nearly every other field. Most importantly, a teachable person will listen when God speaks via reading His Word or in a preaching/teaching setting, and then change their direction to obey Him.

  In fact, arrogant believers (that’s a conundrum), hurt churches. It’s God’s grace when He protects a local church family from arrogant Christians who erroneously believe it’s their calling to “fix” a church. They leave a string of battered churches behind and believe all the churches out there “stink.”

  Take a moment and picture the folk that you love to be around because they’re so Christlike. Spending time with them is a continual feast. They leave you feeling so refreshed! Probably each of them is humble and has a gracious, teachable spirit. So what does teachability look like?

  Someone who is teachable listens more than they talk. When they listen, they’re engaged. They’re quiet, contemplating follow-up questions, seeking to really understand. They may even take notes. They read books or learn everything they can to be a better steward and glorify God.

  Someone who is teachable asks questions, lots of them. They’re willing to appear ignorant or risk looking stupid. They accept responsibility for blunders and failures. They don’t make excuses or blame others. They seek and accept guidance or mentoring from mentors, coaches, parents, teachers, pastors, godly leaders, etc.

  Someone who is teachable accepts criticism or correction without resentment or retaliation. They’re not defensive. They see criticism from those they trust as beneficial. They’re willing to move out of their comfort zones. They’re flexible and adapt to embrace change to be more effective.

  Someone who is teachable is aware of their own limitations of their own knowledge and abilities. They openly admit their limitations, inability, and ignorance to others who can teach and help them grow.

  Someone who is teachable regularly seeks out godly counsel. They ask for help, instruction, guidance and advice (before the event, not after disaster strikes). They learn from anyone and everyone they can. Usually, they realize that they can learn something from nearly everyone.

  Someone who is teachable is willing to change. Whether it’s their views or habits when convincing evidence is presented to them. They’ll change even if it means admitting they’re wrong or causes a level of discomfort. 
  The teachable are a magnificent minority! May teachability be true of us!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.