July 26 Bible Reading Plan

Our acute need is to cultivate a willingness to learn and to remain teachable. (1)

-Chuck Swindoll

I was so angry. Sitting across the table and listening, I could not believe what I heard.

How could he say those things about me?

I completely disagreed with his perspective.

I was totally blind to the obvious flaw in my life and was shocked by his correction.

The funny thing is that in the next two months, I realized he was absolutely 100% completely right. I was so glad that I had decided to follow my lifelong commitment to maintain a teachable attitude, keep my mouth shut, and follow the advice of godly mentors. Because even though I didn’t see it immediately, it was excellent advice.

I have learned this throughout my life: being an unbreakable man means being a teachable man who can take correction and criticism from mature, godly leaders.

I’ve also seen a lack of teachableness break too many.

I’ve seen the story so many times that it hardly surprises me anymore. A man receives criticism, rebuke, or correction and absolutely cannot take it. He can’t see what his mentor or coach is trying to teach him. Instead, he gets offended. His feelings get hurt. His ego is wounded. Sure that his mentor is wrong, he storms out the door, licking his wounds.

Over the following days, weeks, and months, he tells everyone who will listen about how cruel and unfair he was treated by one who was trying to help him.

The sad thing is that this scenario often ends the same way: seeing only the offense and never searching for the truth, the man continues as he is. Years later, he is broken by the very thing he was warned about earlier.

Like the man who insisted that the “Do Not Enter, Flooding Ahead” sign didn’t apply to him, he continued on and fell into danger.

It’s heartbreaking every time.

That’s why it’s essential that you learn to accept correction if you want to be an unbreakable man of God. Because here’s the truth: we all have areas that need improvement. Often, others can see these things way before we do.

When a trustworthy person points these things out and tries to help us, the best thing we can do is heed the warning. At the very least, we should spend significant time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to show us if the correction is legitimate. That’s what I did with the story in the beginning, and yep, the Holy Spirit helped me see that the rebuke was real and I needed to make a change.

Here’s a fact about correction: When a godly person gives advice, criticism, or correction, it will strengthen you.

Listening to their advice and making the changes they see as necessary will make you unbreakable.

However, if you ignore their advice, your arrogance will ultimately break you.

That’s why the Bible provides so many Scriptures on the benefits of being teachable and taking advice. Here are a few:

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1, NIV)

“The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 10:8, NIV)

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15, NIV)

“Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” (Proverbs 13:10, NIV)

“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5, NIV)

If we want to be unbreakable men of God, one of the best things we can do is learn to take advice.

Bibliography:

1. Swindoll, Charles R. “Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity”. Thomas Nelson Publisher, 1997. p. 60.