90 Days of Wisdom: Day 9

"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. Proverbs 9:7-9

The difference between the mocker and the wise man, and the wicked and the righteous man boils down to one simple thing: teachability. I have had the privilege of working with young people as a coach for several years. I began coaching rec-league basketball when my youngest daughter was 4 and have worked with kids from that age up to high schoolers. During this time, one thing I've learned is that a child's ability to get better at the game is not as much physical talent as it is their willingness to be taught and coached. Like a sponge, some players soak in everything their coach tells them, while others are determined to do things their own way.

Spiritual growth is much the same. The believer who grows strong in his or faith and learns of the great adventure of walking daily with Christ and serving Him is the believer who is willing to receive instruction.

I find two applications in this passage for me:

1) Am I teachable and willing to be coached? All of us can learn and we all need people in our lives from whom we are learning.

2) Don't waste time with unteachable people. I've experienced the coaching end of these verses, both on the court, in the gym as a personal trainer, and at the church. As far as the mocker/wicked: I've seen it happen... believe it or not I've had people tell me where to go, how to get there, and even offer their assistance! All because they weren't willing to receive instruction.

On the other hand, in all three arenas mentioned above, I've had the privilege of seeing most people blossom and find success all because they were willing to be taught.

Today, I need to ask myself which camp do I fall in: am I teachable or am I stubborn and self-willed.