How teachable are you? How do you react when others correct you? Do you first give a list of reasons why you say or do something? Are you sometimes so insistent on making your points that your emotions get out of hand?

Most of us don’t actually like changing direction. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest probably is that it is too much trouble to change.

“We’ve always done it like this! We’ve always believed this! Why do we have to do it differently or believe differently now?” And when someone continues to confront us, we easily blow a gasket, not so?

We’re all like that. That’s why we get this advice here: ¹⁹Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. ²⁰God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage.

I like to use the word teachable. We have to be teachable. We have to want to learn and change at all costs. We should actually be like a sponge and suck up as much of the truth that we can.

When someone comes to us or we see something different in the Word of God, we should pause before we respond. then ask yourself with an open mind whether it moves us to think differently, believe differently, or act differently.

The most important thing is that we first hold back the emotions that accompany such growth, to keep us from blowing oil through the gasket somewhere.

Someone responded to one of Renata’s sermons. He came at her guns blazing. Renata responds softly. The next Sunday, it’s my turn. I could feel the emotions welling up and the oil pressure building.

My fingers pounded the keyboard and the more I looked at what this guy had written, the more he got under my skin. He said something like he hoped that God would give me a chance one day to forgive myself.

Fortunately, I didn’t send anything of what I had typed, and as time went by, I received wisdom. I realised where the person was coming from. I realised we were sitting in different rooms of the same house.

So, I learnt something and I could make a few shifts, but it wasn’t easy. We defend our own beliefs. We believe we’re right and when someone questions what we believe, the oil temperature rises.

Let’s rather put on teachable clothes and allow ourselves to be moved by others to get to the full truth. May we take control of our emotions and ensure that oil pressure not rise too high so that the gasket blows.

Scripture
James 1:19-21

Reflection
Are you eager to learn?
Are you quick to blow a gasket?
How can you dress in teachable clothes??

Prayer
Lord, I’m rather fixed in my ways and I don’t like change. Help me to allow those that You send my way to take me to newer heights and closer to the truth, without my oil temperature rising. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.