What Qualities are Needed to be a Good Learner?

 

 1/23     Brad

What qualities are needed to be a good learner?

An impromptu conversation at a Menards with Tom, an electrician, showed me he is quite thoughtful and introspective about things of a spiritual nature, seeing life as a great learning experience, but in the end I had to wonder who, exactly, was doing the teaching?

Through the course of our conversation Tom showed evidence of his spiritual curiosity with references to reincarnation, advice about overcoming adversity with a positive perspective, the spiritual nature of physics, and the nature of evil along with an acknowledgment of Gospel truths such as the importance of confession, repentance, and faith in Jesus.

But Tom's openness to spiritual things was lacking in both coherence and authority, and it has me thinking - is an openness to new things really all that is required to be a good learner? Or does a good student also need a certain amount of humility and respect for the authority of a wise teacher?

Toward the end of our conversation, Tom showed me why the Gospel truths he'd been exposed to hadn't taken root in his life - he saw no need for church involvement and he didn't believe the Bible to be God's authoritative word.

Proverbs 10:17 tells us "The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray." This says a lot about what it takes to be a successful learner. It's a goal Tom showed me he aspires to, but in the end exactly whose "instruction" is he willing to follow?

The corollary to the first part of this passage is equally important. In order to truly follow instruction, we need to be careful not to reject correction. A true learner must accept the authority of others over us, and also have the humility to accept correction.

How many people avoid church and the Gospel truths they can learn there simply because they reject the idea of a more experienced believer teaching them with the kind of authority that only the Bible as God's word can give them?

Thanks, Tom, for allowing me to record our conversation! It can be seen at https://youtu.be/77hZ6GX5oCM on my YouTube channel.