The Wisdom of Being Teachable (Proverbs 12:15)
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Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
What a great mark of wisdom – a teachable spirit. I’ve been going through the interview process with many firms, and they all seem to highlight and emphasize the importance of being teachable – it’s like they’ve all read the Bible, though I’m sure they haven't.
But they get it. Teachability is so valuable. We see that in Scripture. As a commentator puts it:
“Was not Moses wiser for listening to Jethro's counsel (Exodus 18:14-24); and David for listening to the restraining advice of Abigail? (1 Samuel 25:23-32.) How precious then to the child of God is the office of the Divine Counsellor! (Isaiah 9:6.)”
I love that. If we’ve tasted and seen the value of the earnest counsel of a brother and sister, how much more should we see and pursue the value of the counsel of the Lord? The Wonderful Counselor? The one whose advice isn’t just helpful – it’s holy.
This is one of those things that, to me, makes sense on paper but is so much harder to live out in practice. It’s similar to growing up with your parents. You know they have more wisdom than you. You know they’ve lived through what you’re facing. And yet – did we always listen? Nope. No chance.
Same thing with God. We know He’s wiser. We know His ways are better. But somehow we still think ours are safer.
Of course it’s foolish to live life by what’s right in your own eyes. To assume you don’t need direction. To follow your own path like a DIY GPS with no signal. That’s the way of the fool. And yet – we do it anyway.
Like the Farmers Insurance commercial says, “We think we know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.”
Well – God knows more than a thing or two because He created everything.
And yet, despite the massive resume gap between us and Him, we still trust ourselves more.
But that’s not the way of the wise. The wise know they need help. They know they don’t have it all figured out. So they ask. They listen. They sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary, soaking up every word.
They don’t just hear advice – they receive it. Especially the hard stuff. The rebukes, the corrections, the accountability from people who love them and want them to grow.
That’s Proverbs 12:15 wisdom: Teachability.
So on this Easter Sunday… are you teachable?
Are you letting the Word search your heart?
Are you open to being led, corrected, shaped?
Because here’s the truth: Jesus didn’t come just to give advice – He came to give new life.
To take our stubborn, prideful hearts and replace them with hearts that are soft, humble, and teachable. That’s why He died and rose again, and we celebrate that and Him today.
Let’s pray.
