Session 3
Are you teachable?
From Ready to Receive: A 5-Day Devotional for NewSpring Women’s Conference
At one time or another, we’ve all faced this temptation: We want everyone around us to think we have it all together.
If we truly seek growth and change, pride is the biggest obstacle. Humility is the only way to receive the life that God has for us.
God is all about exchanging something we are holding onto to give us something better. To recognize what needs to go, we need to be teachable. And we can’t be teachable without being humble.
Humility is a virtue that is praised and commanded many times in the Bible. It involves letting God have His proper place in our life, and understanding our proper place relative to others. 1 Peter 5:6-7 tells us, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
If we truly recognize our standing before God and the glorious riches of His inheritance, we will trust Him and allow Him to exalt us, rather than strive to exalt ourselves.
We will receive relief from the anxieties that come from grasping the things that are not for us; from the desire for control, from the doubts and fears that creep in when our life journeys take unexpected twists and turns.
Humility is a command we can obey when we are willing to do three things.
- Understand that it’s not about our individual journey, but about going through life together. Accept support and correction, and be willing to give it in love as well.
- Find the commonalities we share, and don’t focus on our differences. It is easier to listen to correction if it’s coming from a friend (Proverbs 27:6).
- Be open and vulnerable enough to share our experiences to help someone, rather than being too proud to admit a personal struggle.
Being teachable and humble goes against our nature. God not only opposes pride, He also gives us the grace to overcome our prideful natures and become humble like Jesus was (James 4:6).
Obedience to Jesus requires the humility to accept correction, to admit our needs, and to expose our weaknesses. Instead of focusing on our self-image, we will be transformed into His glorious image (Philippians 2:3-8).
Reflect:
- How do you react when someone points out a personal flaw?
- Are you willing to share your weaknesses and failures to help someone else? Why or why not?
- Does understanding that Jesus was humble and teachable make it easier for you to do the same?