“TEACHABLE”

17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Hebrews 13:17

God is the God of order, and part of this truth is seen in how He established the system by which the church should function. He called mature believers to serve as undershepherds and care for God's flock. What is our role to ensure this order is kept?

This series aims to give you five marks of a good church member. Here’s our fourth mark:

A healthy church member has a teachable spirit.

Why is it important to be teachable? Because Christianity is a lifelong learning process. We learn every day in our personal Bible study and every week in Sunday School and sermons. Being open to instruction shows our humility and a desire to grow in Christ. When we’re not teachable, we are prone to having a critical, prideful spirit.

Teaching is one of the most important activities in the church. It’s why God ordains pastors and leaders, to begin with. Therefore, we must be humble enough to take a student's place.

Teaching is a serious task and requires years of training and each sermon takes many hours of preparation. The least we can do is to receive instruction humbly. In fact, the Bible commands us to submit to the church’s leadership.

Today’s verse reminds us that we are to obey God’s designated leaders in the church. They have been given the authority to look after our spiritual well-being. They are responsible that we are taught the truth and cared for. Moreover, they will give an account to God one day.

Therefore, we are to be submissive to them, not only because we have to, but because doing so shows that we honor God’s word. Our submission benefits not only ourselves but the leaders as well. From a pastor’s perspective, our job gets more delightful when people are teachable and supportive, fostering a healthy church environment in the process.

How are you doing in terms of honoring your spiritual leaders? What is your attitude when being taught? Do you have a teachable spirit?

Pursue the Savior today!