A Teachable Spirit

by Brett Heintzman

The less teachable people are, the less they will collaborate with others. However, those with teachable, clay-like spirits are open, humble, and responsive to the ideas and thoughts of others. Not only open, but they are eager to hear, learn, and change.

As we think about cross-cultural collaboration as one of our Free Methodist values, it’s probably good to admit that we’re not quite there yet. It might even be safe to say that some of us haven’t started the journey in that direction.

Any overachievers out there? Raise your hand. I’ll admit that mine is raised. We who are overachievers like to get things done. There is no time to waste and no spare minutes to be had. Chop-chop! Collaboration takes patience, and we overachievers are often in seriously short supply. But it’s not only overachievers who lack patience for collaboration. There are those who lean on their own understanding and trust their own intellect and knowledge base over others. They know what they know, and they don’t want to be bothered with sifting through the input of others.

But aren’t both overachieving and self-trust forms of pride? What if a very self-assured person is seated at a table with someone who is quite different. The other person offers a new perspective, idea, thought, method, or definition. What if a clash or challenge occurs between those two thoughts? Or — heaven forbid —  what if we find we’re wrong! What then? Collaboration might seem to be nothing more than frivolous meddling!

We’re much more confident when we teach, but we’re much more useful to others when we’re teachable.

Friends, we have multiple roadblocks before us, keeping us from even sitting at leadership tables with gifted, anointed sisters and brothers from across the globe who have much to teach us. My most formative moments in my life of ministry have taken place when I traveled outside the U.S. and experienced what it was like to be outside my comfort zone … no — control zone.

For the Free Methodist Church – USA to embrace Cross-Cultural Collaboration, we’re going to have to climb out of our comfortable places of control, expertise, overachieving and pride. Indeed, we need teachable spirits.

In every town, city or village where a Free Methodist Church worships, there are varying cultures. Yes, you may not have different global cultures, but your hometown has numerous subcultures. Have you or your church collaborated with a government agency to meet a need? Wait, you think they will say no? On the contrary, we live in a day where there are more openings than you might think. Have you created a table for dialogue and invited others in to listen, share, dream, and learn from one another? Often, we make the mistake of prequalifying others’ responses before we ask. That’s a form of self-protection.

I once sat in a staff meeting at our county hospital. In the room were the director of the in-patient substance abuse wing and a number of counselors and medical staff that supported the work. I was there to share about a Christ-centered recovery curriculum that a local group of churches promoted in our city to meet an increasing drug crisis. The hospital accepted government funding and was not a Christian-based organization. I shared video clips that spoke overtly about Christ. I shared samples of materials. I explained the process, and I shared how local pastors would teach and work with the dear people in their care. At the end of my presentation, the director asked, “When do we begin?”

Do you have a teachable spirit? Are you ready to collaborate across cultures, subcultures, or even nations? What is your next step in the direction of a more teachable “you”?

Let me suggest that we all pray and ask God for a teachable spirit, an open mind, open heart, and open hands. Ask Him who you might reach out to in your community for the sake of collaboration and increased fruitfulness.

You can do it! We all can.+