In the early mornings, the pool was like a sea of glass – that is until 50 kids simultaneously jumped in at the direction of their swimming instructors. Some of them held their noses and “cannonballed” into the deep waters, others stood timidly on the sides of the pool shaking in fear.

Fortunately, my daughter didn’t appear to be afraid. Thanks to her grandparents, she had quick access to several pools that helped her defeat the fear of water before it ever began. She’d stopped wearing the colorful floaties a few summers ago. Her confidence was comforting, that is until it came time to take lessons.

“I don’t need lessons, I know how to swim!” she insisted as she doggie-paddled to stay above the water.

But her debate fell flat as my explanation went on auto-pilot, “I know you know how to swim… I know you’re a good swimmer… but there’s still something new to learn. If you want to be a great swimmer, you need lessons.”

Each time she heard my unwavering reply, she’d scrunch her nose and walk away – she knew I was not budging. And while my heart wanted to chase after her to offer further explanation and gently point out her pride, the Holy Spirit nudged me and said, “Careful… watch your words.”

As a child of God myself, He was asking me the same thing: I know you think you know me and my ways… but are you teachable and willing to learn more?

Learning New Things

 

I grew up attending church, church camp and discipleship weekends during the school year. I had posters of Christian artists and favorite verses thumb-tacked to my bedroom walls, I jammed to DC Talk and Newsboys years before Michael Tait switched bands. I wore a red sweatshirt screen printed with “Christian Girl” to school.

Now that I’m in my mid-30s and building my own Christian home, I’m realizing more and more how quickly I fall into the illusion of humility, all the while I am sitting in pride.

I think it happens to a lot of us moms, especially when we’ve spent nearly every Sunday of our lives in a faith-filled congregation and been applauded for our wise outlooks and words of encouragement.

We know the answers to most Bible questions. We can recall many verses at the drop of a hat. Our shelves are filled with wonderful books helping us pray for our spouses, love our neighbors, get along with our families and find the God-given purpose for our lives. But in the midst of the Bible studies and accountability groups, it’s easy to grow comfortable.

If we’re not careful, we can easily fall into Pharisee-like mindsets. We exchange soft hearts ready to repent and learn for know-it-all viewpoints. We find ourselves unwilling to try something new, adopt a different perspective, and surrender to the idea that we have room to grow.

If we’re not intentionally staying open for God to humble us, we’ll fall as quickly into pride as our children insisting they have nothing new to learn and don’t need lessons. Unfortunately it’s much easier to spot in them than ourselves.

Warning signs of an unteachable heart

 

Tucked away in the Old Testament is a story about an eight-year-old king who taught a bunch of adults about humility and faithfulness. King Josiah was entrusted with ruling Jerusalem at a young age, and as a first step, he “followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” (2 Chronicles 34:2)

Although young, he was wise. And under his leadership, false gods were torn down and covenants and pledges were re-committed. His diligence to follow the true God led to his blessing:

“Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 34:27)

Josiah was spared from experiencing God’s anger; his lasting legacy was the order restored to the temple and His devotion to the Lord. His story challenged me to ask myself: is my legacy headed in the same direction?

In a grace-filled reply, the Lord gently showed me weak areas of my prideful heart, along with a few warning signs:

1. Lazy Prayer – In the busy days, times I’m emotionally spent, or in situations where I want a fast answer, I avoid praying to establish a deep connection with God. Instead, I talk to him quickly and lazily (if at all). Short prayers can certainly hold depth, as we learn in the Psalms. But I wasn’t exactly exerting effort or thought into my conversations with God. My prayer life is a good indicator of the state of my heart.

 

2. Judging Others – When I’m fast to find flaws in most speakers, teachers, bosses and others in leadership positions, it’s another sign my heart is not teachable. Or when I’m in a leadership position but hesitant to delegate jobs and trust others to use their gifts (much like King Josiah did), I’m also walking in pride. I can either be quick to learn and build others up, or quick to criticize them. Only one of those routes is good.

 

3. Perspective on Time – As the message of 936 Pennies points out, our days are numbered. God wants us to spend them well – especially in parenting. When I’m not stopping to savor the time, or see time as a blessing, it’s a signal I need to pause and reconnect with the Lord, and with others. When I’m willing to have an eye-to-eye conversation, play a game of Uno, suggest a “screen’s down” afternoon or offer an extra hug goodnight, my heart isn’t only available to my child, it’s also ready for a word from the Lord. If I’m blowing past the time, or waiting until it passes, I’m missing the moments and opportunity for God to soften and strengthen my heart.

Just like my daughter’s eventual willingness to get in the pool for swimming lessons, we should be ready as children of God to learn more from our Father. He has spiritual blessings for us, gifts “He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:8)

Lord knows we need them as we raise the next generation.