What a week, or better yet, what a month January was. Did you know the statistics of this month were some of the highest crime resulting in deaths, horrific storms resulting in both deaths and property devastation, and so much more. It seemed as if the bad overshadowed the good. When will we ever learn? And that is my reason for musing on this title!

We need a change of focus and quit repeating bad stuff and that brings me to the question “are we teachable anymore?” I went trolling for info and one that caught my eye was from M.I.T. In the last decade we have had more practical technology for our lives but sadly, instead of embracing what can be helpful, most people only wanted “easy” no long instructions to read, etc. One of the MIT professors called it “drive-thru-people” wanting instant results with little ease.

Trillia Newbell, a new writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries shares this story about becoming a Christian. “For me, everything was new and I knew little of God and the Bible. I almost walked out of my first Bible Study because I felt overwhelmed with so much information. I asked myself, ‘Am I teachable’? For someone new to faith, I felt small—everyone around me knew so much. So, I dug-in-my-heels and read. After a few months my mind was so stuffed I couldn’t figure out what to do with it and instead of enjoying and delighting in God, I was exasperated; and again I thought perhaps I just wasn’t teachable.”

I think we all fall into that in our daily lives. We have stuffed too much into each day that we don’t want to hear anything else, we just want to do what we want to do! Sadly, this stunts our teachability and we seek elsewhere for something comfortable and easy. When our minds are not remaining as a “student of Jesus” other ‘teachers of the world’ climb in and play havoc with our minds and hearts which leads to all kinds of “triggers” that can make us angry, sullen, fearful, and confused. When this happens bad stuff happens and we get a “January month” and we are not very teachable. Instead, we repeat the dumbest stuff and start comparing ourselves to others which often leads to depression and self-loathing-yikes!

Even the Apostle Paul realized that no human could compare to God, writing in Romans 11:33 (NIV), “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”  That shouldn’t overwhelm us but encourage us to want to keep growing and learning about God because God’s riches of wisdom and knowledge are incredible and span the universe for all to embrace.

Trillia said it best: “instead of getting upset we need to stay strong as students of Jesus.” So, let’s read Paul’s words again adding verses 34-36, from the Message Bible:

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes!

If you want to stay teachable, here’s just a few ideas: join a Bible study group, do an online study, make time for just you and God to meet together, and pray for God’s guidance. Forget the idea that one day you will “arrive” because you have already arrived in God’s heart! Instead, embark on being teachable and don’t get puffed up in that knowledge; instead keep learning because it will grow in your relationship with God and the outcome of that will blossom in your life and those around you.

So, let’s “stay teachable”—in fact, let’s have a longing for the One who holds all wisdom and is always ready to delight in sharing it with us. AMEN!