Are You Teachable?

Are you in a holding pattern with God? Are you are in God’s waiting room? Did it ever occur to you that God wants to teach you while you wait? I have learned from my own experiences that being teachable enables me to be an effective change agent for God. The key is being teachable.

If you are not teachable, it usually results in trying to change people and conditions in the wrong way. An Anglican Bishop wrote these words on his deathbed and had them engraved into his tombstone:

“When I was young and free, my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it, too, seemed immovable. As I grew in my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realized: If I had only changed my self first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed my world.”

If you want to make a difference with the people around you, then you must allow God to make a difference in you. You must be teachable if God is going to use you to influence others.

One of the great examples in scripture of a teachable person was Joseph. He didn’t allow his hardships in life get him down. He had a dream from God and he learned to wait for God to bring that dream to fruition. God used the waiting period to draw Joseph closer to him and to build up his faith.

Don’t be surprised if God puts you in a holding pattern. He is probably trying to teach you some valuable lessons that will truly bring about change in the future. Let God work a change in you so that he can make a difference around you!