Teachability: Not Weakness, but Meekness
Opening Scripture
“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” — Psalm 25:4–5
Reflection
So far, we have looked at four postures of the heart—faith, obedience, prayer, and worship. These are postures of humility before God. Each of these is distinct, yet they overlap. Faith leads us to pray; prayer expresses our faith. Obedience flows from trust, and worship is born from surrender. They can stand alone, but they are also interdependent. One without the other is incomplete. Today, we come to the fifth posture: teachability—a posture that holds them all together
To hear God’s Word is one thing. To accept it is another. And to obey is yet another. God’s Word often challenges our will and unsettles our strongly held views of life. That is why James calls us to humbly accept the word planted in us.
Teachability is not weakness—it is meekness. It takes meekness to let God’s truth cut across our pride, preferences, and comfort zones.
The heart’s cry in Psalm 25 is the cry of those ready to yield: “Show me…teach me…guide me.” This is also the secret of those who are spiritually rich—because they hunger to learn from God, they keep growing.
David’s prayer in Psalm 86:11 goes even deeper: “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth.” To pray this is to say: “Lord, I want not just information, but transformation. I want to walk in Your truth, not just know it.”
An unteachable heart prays for guidance but refuses the path. It surrenders selectively, as long as its will is not disturbed and its comfort is preserved. But a truly teachable heart bows low, willing to let God lead wherever His truth points. Teachability is not weakness—but it is weakness—the kind that bows low, admits need, and stays open for God to lead.
Apollos embodies this. Though eloquent and mighty in Scripture, when Priscilla and Aquila explained the way of God more accurately, he received it humbly (Acts 18:24–28). His greatness was not just in knowledge, but in his openness to correction.
Illustration
Children do not come with rigid certainties but with curiosity and trust. They are eager to learn, quick to believe, and unafraid to ask questions. This is the posture of teachability God desires from us.
Application
Are we willing to accept God’s Word when it challenges us? Do we pray for guidance, yet quietly resist the path? Teachability is not about how much we know, but how willing we are to learn, yield, and be corrected.
Closing Thought
Teachability is the humility to let God’s Word shape us. The truly wise are not those who have arrived, but those who never stop learning from Him.
Amen