Teachable

Lately, this concept of being teachable has become more real and more important. Being teachable seems to correlate so closely with humility. When there is an understanding and a realization that who I am, where I am in life, everything about me is because of God in me. It takes so much patience and love to deal with someone that is proud or unteachable. I don't know if it has to do with the massive amount of information that is available at an instant. I am sure that doctors deal with this a lot; having someone come in that has already diagnosed themselves. What is it in us that makes us unwilling to be open to constructive criticism? And what is so hard about being able to give actual constructive criticism, not just criticism. In so many ways the church mirrors our culture. I am afraid that the culture is more teachable than the church. For some reason we get the idea that Christ in me gives me the authority to tell everyone else what to do? Like somehow I now know something. All we have is the knowledge of who we can go to and who we can rely on. I know that this really takes things to the most basic, simplistic level. I am afraid that we underestimate the damage of an unteachable spirit or a proud spirit. After being in full-time ministry now for ten years, I feel that I have more to learn now than the first day. I love being with my children and seeing the how teachable they are. Just this morning my daughter is asking me about how a car turns. "Daddy, does the car go where you turn the steering wheel?" Are we willing to risk it and ask questions? Do we believe that we can learn from anyone, young or old? Or is it only the older that teaches the younger? It would be a contradiction if I thought I could answer these questions... actually at this point in life I feel I have more questions than answers.