I think it’s funny how resistant I can be to learning from people I may not respect or agree with, at times. Of course, God probably doesn’t view it as “funny.” But He certainly must think I’m funny. With all of my funny-ness and all. And, it is most certain I think I am funnier than I truly am, yes?
Learning from unlikely vessels. We all can put up unteachable walls to these people. Because, surely, we cannot learn from someone we don’t respect or like or view as less than? Now, that’s humility. Ahem.
It’s definitely not a teachable spirit.
James 1:21 says, “So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has power to save your souls.”
In other words, be teachable. Accept the word, and be obedient to that word.
But, we are often closed to learning from not only likely sources, but unlikely sources as well. We close our spirit to anything new. Perhaps, we fear something new may refute the old. We fear we may be confronted with truth. Or, we discount the teaching of people, because we don’t respect them. When, we do this, when we put up these walls, we put God in a box.
And, He won’t be put in a box.
Remember the story of Balaam in Numbers 22? His donkey saw an angel of the Lord blocking their path, and he refused to go any further. After three subsequent beatings by Balaam for his resistance, the donkey turned around and said, “Dude! What have I done to deserve this beat down?” Or something like that.
Annndddd, Balaam responded to the donkey’s question. As if a donkey talking to him was commonplace?
Finally, the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes and he, too, saw the angel of the Lord standing there.
The point is: God can use anything or anyone as an instrument of His instruction.
Humbling? Of course, it can be. It should be. We need to be checked on making sure we have a correct estimation of ourselves. And, to have a correct estimation of ourselves, we must have a correct estimation of God….who will not be put in a box.
Be willing and eager to learn regardless of who He chooses as our unlikely teacher. Listen to your donkey. Don’t beat the crap out of him. There is always a lesson. For real.
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