Am I teachable?

We often look to so many others to teach us.  Our traditional demoninational churches have pasters, teachers, and leaders for everything. There lead pastors, associate pastors, youth pastors, children's pastors, ministers of music, leaders of outreach missions...and so on and so on.  They all teach differently.  They all interpret the word of God differently.  The content they teach is all different.  The people, youth, children they all need different kinds of direction and leadership.  Many of today's sermons are very motivational.  We see many speakers on television, itunes, facebook, etc. whose messages are all very generic, but yet supremely positive.  The messages contain content that make us feel good about ourselves, but do not cause us to grow in Him.  Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with motivational speakers.  They are inspirational.  But in the secular world what is the purpose of a motivational speaker?  It is to inspire and motivate an audience to move forward with an action.  It is to plant seeds within their audience.  

Please do not get me wrong.  I have absolutely nothing against motivational speakers.  They are awesome and can inspire and move an entire auditorium of teenagers to tears with their stories.  That in itself is a feat and one that I respect.  But if our pastors are only planting seeds, then whose responsibility is it to water and tend the seed that is planted to see that it grows into what it was intended to be?  

When reading Psalms a couple of weeks ago, I saw a few things that just literally jumped off the page at me.  I am going to be listing several scriptures and this post may only be part 1, but I believe there is a lot of information we need to have and some concepts we need to grasp a hold of and hold on tight to.  So, with this little introduction out of the way, let's go on to the first scripture: Psalm 16:8


Psalm 16:8  I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

This is what we have all done at salvation, right?  We have set the Lord before us.  Well, that is true...and not true.  What have we done after the point of salvation where grace has saved us through our faith?  The Psalmist continued in verse 11:

 Psalm 16:11  You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

God will show us the path of life.  When we are walking in His presence, we have joy...FULLNESS of joy!  Have you ever stopped to ask yourself...or God...what the path of life is?  The answer is found in Matthew 7:13 and 14.  Jesus said:


Matthew 7:13-14  "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  (14)  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

I know we have all read this set of scriptures.  They are very popular when discussing salvation and sin with someone.  But, have you ever noticed that not only is the gate narrow, but the way is difficult that leads to life, and few find it.  Jesus never promised us that our lives as His disciples and followers would be easy.  In fact, He said we would be persecuted for His name's sake (Matthew 5:10-12).  So, if it isn't going to be easy and few find it, then it would stand to reason it is because the many choose to stop when the going gets rough.  So...how do we continue on the path of life and deviate from the narrow way? 

Psalms 139:23-24  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;  (24)  And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

The Psalmist knew.  He prayed and said, "Search me!"  Are we brave enough to ask God to search us and know our hearts?  Ah...but don't forget He already knows our hearts.  We aren't keeping secrets from Him.  He will reveal what is in us to us so He can remove it (see if there is any wicked way).  The Psalmist follows this up with asking God to lead him in the way of everlasting.  Do we pray and ask God that?  To lead us in the way of everlasting?  I have not been doing that in my prayer life.  I have not been asking God to lead me.  I have been asking for things and not material things.  Just praying for other people, for my children, my parents, asking God to use me...but I have not been praying to be led.  But we should..why?


Psalms 5:8  Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.

Because of our enemies!  Our paths should be straight and following Him.  Here, the Psalmist knew that.  He specifically asked God to make His way straight before his face. Not what the Psalmist thinks is the best way.  Not the world tells us is the best way, but His way.  I have not been doing that and I am not really sure why.  It seems like a simple concept.  I have started asking the Lord to lead me, to make His way straight before me.  We do have enemies.  We know what they are.  They are: principilaties, powers, rulers of darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).  Why would we not ask God to lead us on His path of life? Why would we not pray that God make His way straight before us?  Why would we not move past our motivational speakers and step into action with our faith?  So back to Psalm 16:8.  With God at our right hand we shall not be moved.  Since we know God is with us always because He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), then we should not be able to moved with the blowing of the wind or the torrential rains of storms that come into and out of our lives (James 1:2-8).  

So, I ask the same question to you that I asked in the title of this post...  Are you teachable?  Do you trust God enough, do you have enough faith, to say "Search me, O God! Lead me in the path of life."  Do you trust Him enough to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal all truth to you and lead you in the narrow, difficult way (John 16:7-15)?  It is scary relinquishing control (or perceived control) or our lives.  But we must to find the narrow way.  He who loses his life shall find it (Matthew 10:39).

So, as we go on this journey over the next few weeks, let's continue to ask ourselves if we are teachable.  Let's allow God to show us how to be the City on a Hill that He says we (the body of Christ) are and let's learn how to do it in today's age.  It won't be easy.  It will be difficult. But, we can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13). 

I pray that we approach every day with a heart and mind centered and focused on the One that leads us.  I pray that we allow Him to search our hearts and show us anything that is in us that will prevent us from walking the path He leads us on.  I pray we remember He is at our right hand and we are immovable with the God of all creation by our sides.  

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