A Leader’s Commitment To Lifelong Learning

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Bruce Barton said, “When you’re through changing, you’re through!” I think the same thing could be said about a leader’s learning—when you think you’ve learned it all, your leadership is beginning to crumble. 

I never want to get to the place where I think I have “arrived” as a leader, but I want to be humble enough to admit that there are so many things I have yet to learn. Jesus reminded us, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom” (Matthew 13:52 CEV). 

“New and old treasures” tells me that there’s some good stuff we need to protect, and also some good stuff we haven’t yet learned. 

A mark of a godly leader is his commitment to being a lifelong learner. 

Here are three new things the Holy Spirit has recently taught me: 

Acts 6:3 says, “Choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.” 

My lesson: The résumé for those that are to be placed in ministry leadership positions should include servant-heartedness, Christlike character, wise experience for the task, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

“This Moses whom they disowned…is the one God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer” (Acts 7:35). 

My lesson: When God calls someone His leader, it doesn’t matter if the world calls them disowned. It’s not about popularity with men, but faithfulness to God.

Notice the plural pronoun “they” in 1 Kings 11:33. 

My lesson: When King Solomon sinned, he then gave license to the people to follow his example. As the leader goes, so go the people.

I hope you are learning new things every day. In fact, feel free to share in the comments something new you’ve learned. 

This is part 73 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

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3 Responses to “A Leader’s Commitment To Lifelong Learning”

  1. Craig T. Owens's avatar Craig T. Owens Says:

    Proverbs 18:15 says, “The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”

    Dick Brogden, in his excellent book Proverbs: Amplified and Applied, wrote,

    “Lifelong learning is the mark of the wise. True wisdom is signified by enduring curiosity and an awareness of how much we don’t know rather than a fixation on what we do know. Fools revel in how much they know about a topic; the wise wonder at how much they don’t.

    “Satisfaction with a certain depth of knowledge means learning is lost, while hunger for a deeper understanding of what we know in part typifies the wise. It is not always wisdom to know all things superficially; that, too, can be a cloaked folly. It is wise to be insatiable for more understanding about what we do know as there can be a certain hubris when we are satisfied with what we do understand about someone or something.

    “There is an attractive, appealing prudence about those who are always hungry to understand more. Jesus loves it when we are dissatisfied with what we know of Him—He ever welcomes the familiar seeker.”

    Like

  2. Unknown's avatar Always Ready | Craig T. Owens Says:

    […] also instructed us to have available both old and new treasures to share with people around us (Matthew 13:52). The old speaks to being proactive, and the new is reactive to each thing that we are learning and […]

    Like

  3. Unknown's avatar A Checklist For Growth | Craig T. Owens Says:

    […] Am I thrilled every time I get to learn more about Jesus? […]

    Like


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