“Daddy, if they have a school for dogs, why don’t they have one for cats too?”
–Emi (9) // because you can’t teach the unteachable (via @michaelchanley)
This “tweet” from Michael Chanley got me to thinking about teachability. True leaders are teachable. But what does that really mean? And what does it mean to be “unteachable”? I jotted down some thoughts about each and thought I’d share them here – the difference is the difference between cats and dogs!
Teachable Leaders |
Unteachable Leaders |
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Listen to those below, beside and above
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Poor Listeners
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Change agents, adapting & growing
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Status quo, stagnant & dying
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Learn from mistakes
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Repeat same mistakes
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“Open” leaders, inviting others to grow with them
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“Closed” leaders, discouraging others from growing with them
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Approachable
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Distant
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OK, there’s just a few thoughts comparing those who are teachable vs. those who are not.
What else can we add to the list? And, more importantly, how are we doing in the area of teachability?
I am disappointed. Yes, my Chargers lost today. It was their year to win, the best team they’ve ever had, but they lost. I’ve experienced this over and over for the last 35 years or so, and so I am disappointed again that the season has ended too quickly.
But I have only “superficial” disappointment. It doesn’t really matter that they lost. There are much more important things.
As I thought about how they lost, though, I asked myself “what is it that really disappoints me?”
My hope is that the answers to what “truly” disappointments me are the same answers to what disappoints the heart of God.
I want to be disappointed when a person refuses the love of Jesus. When a child is mistreated, misunderstood, under-valued or misses an opportunity to build their relationship with Christ. I want to be disappointed by sin, in mine or anyone else’s life. Or by apathy about the things God values. I want the things that disappoint God to disappoint me.
That’s not always the case. I can be pretty superficial sometimes. As I strive to build my hope in God, however, I know that I will never be disappointed in Him…not really…for ultimately, the One Who loved me enough to die for me cannot disappoint. (See Romans 5:1 – 8 for a great passage about this).
How about you…what disappoints you?
This is the CHARGERS year!
Wild Card Forecast
AFC
Jets over Bengals
Patriots over Ravens
NFC
Cowboys over Eagles
Packers over Cardinals
Divisional Forecast
AFC
Chargers over Patriots
Colts over Jets
NFC
Vikings over Cowboys
Packers over Saints
Conference Championship Forecast
AFC
Chargers over Colts
NFC
Packers over Vikings
Super Bowl XLIV Forecast
Chargers over Packers
31 24
Time is priceless because it can never be replaced, recovered or revoked. John Maxwell used to tell us as a staff “You can tell a person’s priorities by looking at their checkbook and their calendar.” How we spend what most would consider our top resources – our money & our time – tells a lot about us. Here’s a little acronym I use to help me stay on track with my time:
T – take your time seriously.
Psalm 39:5 says that each man’s life is “but a breath”. We need to be very aware of how we spend our time. I’m not saying we have to be serious all the time – having fun is important! - but we need to be serious about our time.
I – invest your time, don’t spend it.
This comes down to a mindset. How do you approach your day? How do you approach your week, month, year? When we take our time seriously, we approach it as an investment – getting as much return on investment as possible – rather than an expenditure.
M – maximize the moments
A couple of days ago my son started excitedly telling me something about his day. I was engaged in some “important” stuff, but when I had to ask him to repeat himself, I realized my brain wasn’t engaging in the moment I should have been. I stopped, focused on him, and listened. It was the type of moment that I soon will long for (he’ll be off to college in 5 short years). Moments happen everyday – with your kids, wife, friends & co-workers…even just moments of reflection as you go through your day – learn to maximize them, according to your defined core values - you won’t get these moments back, and you will rarely regret maximizing them.
E – engage in the process of life
Life is unpredictable. There are times when you’re actively in the game, moving the ball down the field, and times when you’re on the sidelines watching (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about the seasons of life). All are important, and none are surprises to God. I love Psalm 139:16 where it says God knew my days before I was born – He’s not surprised by anything! Now, I know we make decisions that affect our days, but it says it right there – God knows my days before I was born (yea, don’t hurt yourself trying to reconcile those two concepts!). Whatever “season” you are in, engage it with your time and allow God to work and move in you to accomplish the tasks, the healing, the equipping, the ministry – whatever it is He has designated that season in your life for.
Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT)
For a more complete Biblical study on time, visit here.
