Been There, Done That

Most of us have experienced it more than once. You’re talking with a person and it doesn’t matter what you say about anything, they already know more about the subject than you do. If you’ve had an experience that has taught you something, they’ve had a similar, though far greater, experience that has taught them more; make that a lot more, absolutely.  

The human mind is an amazing thing. Thinking is essential to life and thinking brings us to conclusions. Our conclusions are a necessary part of our thinking and they are what we act upon. But, if you look up the word ‘conclusion’ in the dictionary, what does it say? “Noun: the end or close; final part.” (Dictionary.com)  See a problem? The danger isn’t only that we jump to conclusions but that when we land we think we’ve arrived. The old adage about having a mind like concrete comes to mind … all mixed up and permanently set!

This is where the expression ‘keep an open mind’ comes from. Now, as I’ve already pointed out, we can’t live without thinking and we can’t think without drawing conclusions. So, on the one hand they are essential; on the other hand they are problematic.

I read an article this week that talked about ‘teachability’ (spell check says there’s no such word – go figure). The author of that article sees it as the greatest attribute you can develop. It is a forceful argument. The lack of teachability renders you incapable of learning. People who demonstrate an attitude of being ‘unteachable’ (spell check doesn’t like that either) are in effect saying they don’t need to learn because they already know it all. How dangerous (foolish) is that?!

I write this as a Christian. As a Christian, I have come to know certain things. I believe that God has opened up my eyes to the great truths of life which are the truths of the Bible. This means I am in immediate danger of becoming a ‘know-it-all’. And I have to admit, this is something that I see quite often on display in the lives of believers and I’m sure I’m no exception. And, whether I recognize it or not, any sense of smugness on my part is obnoxious.

This is not something that is missing from the Word of God. The Bible admonishing us to always practice humility and warns us of how knowledge can ‘puff us up’. It certainly seems like a paradox though doesn’t it. I mean, the more you learn the wiser you become, and the wiser you become, the more you know, and … so how does this all work really?

So much of life is a matter of our attitude isn’t it… It’s OK to think what you think and believe what you believe. That’s life. The Bible instructs us that each one should be ‘fully convinced in his own mind’. We should be people of conviction holding tight to the precious truths. But holding our convictions tightly should not mean closing our minds in such a way as to suggest that we see everything exactly as it is. That’s just arrogance. We all have our misunderstandings and we all need to practice humility of mind. 

My opinion is my opinion. I’m entitled to it, but no more than everyone else is entitled to theirs. No one (except God) knows everything. And everyone can teach me something. And keeping in mind that anyone might see something that I might miss should help keep me humble. What about you; how teachable are you?