Be Teachable.

Act 7:54

“When they heard these they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth.”

Theme: Being Teachable. Don’t take the offensive. Turn the bad into rad.

When Stephen rightfully called them out on the sins they had and were committing against God. The high priests were in an up-roar with what Stephen was saying. To show their anger they “gnashed” or grinned their teeth at Stephen.

            At first read, I see the high priests as ingenerate people. But then I take a second look and I see myself. When I am wrong and I get called out, in most cases I have a similar reaction (maybe not as intense, but still I am bothered). But I ask myself; “ why do I get angry when people call me out n my wrong doing?” and “ why is my first reaction to take the offense, instead of just learning what I am doing incorrectly, and then trying to fix it?” something my dad has always installed in my head is that “ the most valuable learned skill, is the skill to be teachable” or to learn from your mistakes. I believe this to be very true, because as it reads in

Proverbs 16:18-19

            “ Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”

            What I am getting at is; it’s okay to be wrong, but it’s not okay to not learn from it. Don’t be too proud to be teachable or you will learn nothing. As I am saying these things I am swallowing them, I too am very un-teachable at times.

            I was talking to a staff intern yesterday about the culture shock that we will experience while on the mission field.  I asked her “ How long does it take to get use to the culture where ever I go?” With a wise tone she humbly replied, “ As long as you hold onto your culture…” What I took from that is; the longer I hold on to my idea of what right and wrong, the longer I remain uncomfortable and ignorant. Be teachable friends.