Teachability
Demonstrating a willingness to learn or be trained without any reservations or hindrances.
Devotional Thought
Read Acts 16:1-4, 18:5, 19:22, 20:4; 1 Thessalonians 3:2-6.
Paul had a dramatic conversion to Christ on the road to Damascus, and his life was turned upside down. In the years that followed he gained great insights from the Lord. But Paul knew that he wouldn't live forever so he urged believers to live out the truth of 2 Timothy 2:2, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." Paul poured his life into Timothy. Timothy was an eager, teachable student who not only studied under Paul, but he also accompanied him on his missionary journeys.
Chuck Swindoll tells us that our mind is a muscle. It needs to be stretched to stay sharp. He suggests three mental activities to keep the cobwebs away: (1) Read - Within the covers of a book are numerous ideas and insights waiting to be discovered. Read wisely, widely and slowly. Read history as well as current events…magazines and periodicals as well as classics and poetry…biographies and novels as well as the daily news and devotionals. (2) Talk - Conversation adds the oil needed to keep our mental machinery running smoothly. The give-and-take involved in rap sessions, the question-answer dialogue connected to discussion, provides the grinding wheel needed to keep us keen. Don't settle for surface talk. Dive into issues, ideas, controversial subjects, things that really matter. Ask and answer "why" and "how"…rather than "what" and "when." Socrates was considered wise-not because he knew all the answers, but because he knew how to ask the right questions. (3) Write - Start a journal. A journal isn't a diary, it's more. A journal doesn't record what you do-it records what you think. It spells out your ideas, your feelings, your struggles, your discoveries, your dreams. It helps you articulate who you are.
John Gardner once pointed out that by the time people are in their mid-thirties, most have stopped acquiring new skills and new attitudes. Make it a point to learn something new every day. Living and learning with a teachable spirit will add years and wisdom to our lives.