Teachability and Humility: the killer combo

In today's leadership driven culture words like "teachability" and "humility" get thrown around like they are going out of style. And...they should get thrown around in leadership circles. None-the-less, I have become incredibly aware in recent days just exactly how important it is that followers of Christ truly do pursue humility and teachability. I am convinced that God will use those who possess humility and teachability to do huge things.
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The Danger of Self-Promotion: It is so easy to become self promoters and to become obsessed with making our own names known. The challenge lies in the heart of all that we do for Christ. At times it is necessary to do some self promotion when it will directly impact the Kingdom but so many times we make excuses and attempt to disguise our selfish promotion as doing ministry.
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The reality is that when we become selfish and we are passing off our self promotion as our humble efforts at advancing the Kingdom, the ministry suffers. Not only do we lose the passion and fire that comes from a white- hot commitment to honor Christ and advance him, but we eventually miss out on being used by God in his plans.
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The Myth of Humility: There are a lot of misconceptions about what humility really looks like in a Christ follower. The answer lies in scripture. Philippians 2:3-4 talks specifically about humility, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Paul makes it clear that we are to never act simply out of our own ambition or to puff up our own ego's.
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At the same time, humility is not what some Christians make it out to be, weakness (that's the myth). There is nothing worse than a "tail-between-the-legs, scared-to-death of confrontation, back-boneless person" claiming to be humble but lacking any strength of conviction. Christ, who was the perfect fulfilment of all of the fruits of the spirit including humility, gave us a beautiful portrait of what true humility should look like. Consider when Jesus cleared the temple (Matthew 21). He was obviously a man of action and had every intention of making a statement for sure. But when we unpack the motive of Jesus' bold move in the temple we see what true humility looks like. His actions were in every way a direct reflection of his love for the Father. HUGE POINT: When we put God into the most important spot in our lives our hearts will overflow into action and concern for the things that concern Christ.
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The Success of Teachability: One of the most attractive fruits of true humility is a "teachability" that transcends age, level of success, status, and skill. A truly humble person is willing to learn. You will see a teachable person looking for opportunities to learn. They will usually speak later rather than sooner, ask more questions than give answers, and seek to pass on credit any time they get the chance.
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I know a gentleman who volunteers in the high school ministry of Second Baptist Church who expresses this teachability often and in heavy doses. This guy is an incredibly successful individual, he has a great family, a successful career, and a huge heart for Christ. This guy, to be honest, really doesn't need to ask questions about how to be more successful in his ministry with high school students, or what he can do to serve his teenage children in a way that will allow them to see Christ...he already has the corner on these things. Truth is, I learn more from watching him and probing him then I would ever be able to teach him! But again, true humility in the follower of Christ breeds an incredible teachability.
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I hope you will be as challenged as I am to be humble and to be teachable in your life. It's not easy and it takes the working of the Spirit in your life, but if you will trust God and ask Him to lead you, you can grow in your humility! For today, remember Christ and the fact that He was equal with the Father but was in submission to him.
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Philippians 2:5-8: 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and become obedient to death--even death on a cross!