Proverbs 17:27 says “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.” This “excellent” spirit speaks of a spirit that is self-possessed, calm,cool, peaceful. This is the same term that is used in Proverbs 25:25 where it says, “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” This word, “cool”, speaks about a calming peace to a thirsty soul. This excellent spirit is one that is calm and peaceful enough to accept the truth of God’s Word and build upon it. A man of understanding,is a man who has a “teachable spirit”, a cool, calm, peaceful spirit. God wants us to have such a peaceful rest in the will of God that they will draw upon every bit of knowledge and truth that they can find.
Sometimes the difference between knowledge and wisdom is the difference between having a teachable spirit and not having a teachable spirit. Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but wisdom is having enough smarts not to put the tomato in your fruit salad. I have been in some churches where the membership is an older group. If this group is not careful, the may become unteachable because the are seasoned and have learned what life has thrown at them. This group, as well as each of us, must continue to have a pliable heart that is willing for God to continue to teach us, mold us, purge us, and make us into what He wants us to be.
This “excellent” spirit was found in Daniel. People loved him, sought after him, admired him because he had an excellent spirit. This was not just a happy, vibrant spirit, this was a spirit that wisdom and discernment was found. David asked the Lord, nineteen times in the book of Psalms to “teach him”. He asked the Lord, “teach me they paths”, “teach me thy way”, teach me thy statutes”, “teach me thy Judgements”, “teach me to do thy will”. It sounded as if David had a “teachable spirit”.
Let me give us a reminder of a few things that can quickly become “Enemies to a teachable spirit”.
1. Laziness in not knowing the Word of God. We must realize the great importance of continuing to keep our hearts in tune with God’s Word. To hide it in our hearts so that we might not sin. To feast upon it so that we may be full and enjoy the sweetness of its taste. We need to know it to live, to teach our children, to guide our lives, to share with the lost. We must not fall into “spiritual laziness” that can soon lead us to where our spirit becomes unteachable. A lazy person is usually not willing to accept exhortation. He does not want to learn, because he knows that it will take an extra effort.
2. Fear in not having the faith to believe God’s Word. Fear has always been a “stumbling block” for the children of God. The children of Israel were warned over twenty times on their journey to the promised, to “fear not”. The opposite of fear for a Christian is faith and the bible reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please Him. We must have the faith to believe that God’s Word is necessary for us and that we can accomplish it through the Holy Spirit. Many have failed in growing in their faith simply because they feared whether they could do what the Bible says. This will soon lead to having an unteachable spirit.
3. Pride in believing that we know enough of God’s Word. This is one that we all must beware of. New Christians can have trouble with this. Preachers can have trouble with this. Bible students can have trouble with this. We have to constantly remind ourselves that our teacher must be the Holy Spirit and without His illuminating wisdom, we would never be able to gain the wisdom from God’s Word that we need to guide us. Pride can quickly take us from having a pliable, teachable, spirit to a cold, hardened, unteachable spirit.
4. Stubborness in not applying what we know. The book of James gives us some admonition about this. James 1:22-25 says this, “But, be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therin, he being not a forgetful , but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” Someone said, ” The more men suppress the truth of God which they know, the more futile, even senseless they become in their thinking.” When must understand that the truth of God is only revealed to us by obedience.
These are some strong enemies that can our spirit being teachable and pliable. There is an answer for these things found in the Word of God. Proverbs 3:5-6 clearly gives us the answer: ” Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understandiing. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path.”
