Psalm 25: 4-5 “Make me to know your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths.  Lead me in your truth and teach me, for are the God of my salvation, for you I wait all the day long.”  One important character trait and personal attitude of a great leader and spiritually mature man is that he maintains a teachable spirit throughout his life.  Humility is an element of this leadership trait.  It reflects that the leader does not know it all, does not have spiritual pride and acknowledges that there is more to learn and apply in life.  It also serves as an example to his family and those with whom he works that he has not totally arrived and is willing to keep on being taught from God’s Word, other people and experiences in life.  This further confirms the fact that effective leadership development is 80% experience, 10% education and 10% mentoring.  Just reading one more book, going to one more seminar, talking to one more person does not produce a leader.  Allowing the Lord to provide the teaching and leading through daily life experiences will prove a teachable spirit and strong leadership development.  This is the difference between a cabbage Christian who is all head and no heart and a real leader.

I have seen young men lose their leadership ability and spiritual witness by being so full of themselves that no one wants to follow or associate with them.  A head knowledge is no substitute for leading from the heart with humility and unselfishness.  No one wants to follow a “know it all.”  Paul wrote in Philippians 3: 12-14 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  A teachable spirit allows us to know God’s ways, follow his paths and lead by His truth, just as the Psalm states.  To not have a teachable spirit is exhibited by arrogance, selfishness and an attitude of spiritual pride.  There is not a one of us who does not want our children to have a teachable spirit and our Father wants us to model the same thing in our daily lives.  So, press on toward the goal and upward call to what lies ahead with God as your teacher.