S20P14 – The obstacles to faith: the unteachable spirit

Prov. 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The unteachable spirit does not reside far from idolatry. We are not speaking of those who prefer to learn things on their own as opposed to learning from others. This is merely a preference for something other than the personal interaction of teaching. The unteachable spirit is what makes someone think that they have nothing left to learn. This is the person who has made up his mind about all things and believes that there is no value to be added to his wisdom and knowledge. It is this spirit that prevents us from engaging in the learning process necessary if we are to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Our spiritual need for Jesus Christ carries with it a clear component of increase in knowledge and wisdom. In order for us to walk out our salvation as the Father desires, we must learn from him and the Son and the Spirit. In fact, one of the offices of the five fold ministry is that of teacher [Eph. 4:11-13]. Learning is so integral to our walk that God has ordained people specifically to teach the Church about him. Even some of us have been earmarked for this critical task. And although our faith is not merely an academic discipline, there is something greatly academic about it. We cannot hope to learn of God and be transformed into his image unless we are open to his teaching.

If any one of us knew it all, we would have no need for Jesus Christ. That He came to save all people, and that all people are lost without him, indicates to us that we do not have all the answers and cannot rely solely on ourselves. At the moment, we know in part [1 Cor. 13:9]. But God seeks to increase our knowledge as we walk with him until the day that we know fully. Our knowledge and wisdom apart from God are nothing more than foolishness when compared with his knowledge and wisdom [1 Cor. 1:25]. Father, give us a teachable spirit that desires to learn more and more of You each day and that humbly accepts the teaching of those You have placed in that position within your Church.