Remaining Flexible in a Changing World

(The Value of a Teachable Spirit)

Psalm 32:8-11

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

A dad is a lot like an anchor in a boat. When things are going well you generally do not see or hear much from them. But when things get tough, he needs to be strong. Most dads work long, hard hours – as do the moms – but the day to day interaction with the kids is usually the mothers responsibility. In the stronger homes both parents are involved.

The early years of parenting are mostly survival techniques. The parents are young and clueless about rearing children. Advice comes from every direction, and much of it is conflicting. By the time the parents get their feet on the ground all the rules seem to change because the child becomes a teenager! And TEENAGERS want to BE ON THEIR OWN! (And parents were the same when they were teens!)

Parents of all ages need to be flexible, and we need to keep a teachable spirit! If you do, parenting is an absolute joy! Roberta and I enjoyed our four kids when they were home, and I think we enjoy them even more now that they are our adult friends. Yes, there are many absolutes involving moral purity, and the principles of life remain the same. But the approach to problem solving and lifestyles change from year to year.

Every generation has its own music. We can’t have things our own way all the time!

God, speaking through the psalmist, said, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel and watch over you!”

- Don’t be like the mule!

If you want to have problems, try to make things remain as they were a few years ago. It will stress you and everyone around you!

When the railroads were first introduced to the U.S., some people feared that it would mean the downfall of the nation! Here is part of a letter from New York Governor, Martin Van Buren to President Jackson dated January 31, 1829:

As you may know, Mr. President, 'railroad' carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by 'engines' which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed. -Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York. Source Unknown.

Remember the “Generation Gap?” We were told that adults and younger people could not communicate because of different values. In reality they were trying to make a huge social change by putting down the wisdom of the older generation. We can’t react to everything we hear… but we need to be sensitive to God and the needs of others.

As members of the church we need to communicate the gospel to everybody at his or her level of need and understanding. A basic rule of teaching is to discover what the student already knows, then establish a need for what you are teaching. A need for learning has to be established.

How we present our ideas is equally important. Charles Wesley wrote "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." However, he originally wrote it as "Hark! How All the Welkin Rings." Not to inspiring! What it meant was "how all the heaven rings." Fortunately, George Whitefield changed the words. (Whitefield was the famous evangelist who sparked America's Great Awakening.) -- "The Golden Age of Hymns," Christian History, No. 31

Parents have to set the example. (Along with grandparents and all other adults.)

- Being obedient to God and to the laws of the land is a good place to start.

John 14:23-27

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me.

"All this I have spoken while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Thomas Trask is the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in the United States. His position is similar to John Thomas’ position in the United Church of Christ. Prior to assuming national leadership he pastored a church with 10 full time staff members. He has earned the right to make the following statement:

“One key factor that gets pastors into trouble is this: they become unteachable. We should always be learning so we don’t get set in our ways, stubborn, inflexible, and rigid. This type of behavior turns people away.”

Finally, accept the fact that some people will never learn.

- Some people will always be in rebellion. Love them any way.

- Some people will become old and cantankerous. Love them any way.

2 Timothy 3:1-7

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.

Perhaps you have met some of these folk. Always learning, but never knowing anything!

It’s good to have an opinion. It’s very important to know where you stand on issues! It’s even okay to be a democrat, a republican or an independent. However, some moral principles are absolutes. God’s word is full of commands. Learn them and follow them, but don’t confuse principles with techniques.

One of the gospel radio stations frequently plays a quartet song entitled “I’m Not.” The message is this:

A. I’m not what I ought to be

B. I’m not what I used to be

C. But, thank God, I’m not what I’m gonna be!

God understands that we are gaining knowledge and understanding, so He is patient with us. We can either mature on a continual basis, or we can stake out our claim and say this is the way that things are going to be from now on! Which is sorta silly. Change happens. We all know that in the 1800s someone wanted to close the patent office in Washington D. C. because everything that could be invented had already been invented. NOT!

The psalmist quoted God as saying, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”

It sounds as if God is saying, “Don’t be mule-headed.” No doubt you have met people who were “as stubborn as a mule.” Come to knowledge! Come to God. Allow Him to be your teacher. Learn to be like Jesus in all that you do. Jesus was gentle and kind and He expects the same from us.

We do not want, as the newspapers say, a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world. G.K. Chesterton, The New Witness. Christianity Today, Vol. 30 no. 8

Only a fool would argue that the church should change its doctrine to keep up with the times. One does not arrive at moral judgments by counting noses. Nor does one derive ethical systems from surveys. -Andrew M. Greeley in America (Nov. 7, 1992) Christianity Today, Vol. 37, no. 2

In John 14 Jesus said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey My teaching."

“Obey my teaching.” One of Jesus’ commands was that we love one another, not correct one another. Jesus also said, “The words you hear are not My own, but they belong to the Father who sent Me.” I cannot remember Jesus saying, “Let Me tell you how I feel!” No, He was always teaching what the Father taught. This is still a good plan!

The good news is that we have the Holy Spirit as a constant companion and teacher. Jesus also said, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.”

That’s good news for those of us who are parents! We do not always know the answers to the questions our children and grandchildren can throw at us! But God knows. God told Moses that He would teach Moses what to say when he went before Pharaoh. He told the disciples that He would teach them what to say when they were taken to court for being believers. That same God will speak to us as we instruct our children!

“Just because we have always done it” is not necessarily a good reason. I seriously doubt if you have ever stayed awake wondering why railroad tracks are as far apart – or are as close to each other as they are. However, I discovered the reason as I did my research for this message.

The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between rails) is four feet, eight-and-one-half inches. Why such an odd number? Because that's the way they built them in England, and British expatriates built American railroads.

Why did the English adopt that particular gauge? Because the people who built the pre-railroad tramways used that gauge. They in turn were locked into that gauge because the people who built tramways used the same standards and tools they had used for building wagons, which were set on a gauge of four feet, eight-and-one-half inches.

Why were wagons built to that scale? Because with any other size, the wheels did not match the old wheel ruts on the roads.

So who built these old rutted roads?

The first long-distance highways in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been in use ever since. Roman war chariots first made the ruts. Four feet, eight-and-one-half inches was the width a chariot needed to be to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses.

So, why do you do what you’ve always done?

Clark Cothern, Tecumseh, Michigan

Listen to God! He is not threatened by change – think of how much He has seen since He created the human race with Adam and Eve! And He isn’t stressed out!

Think about how much change you have seen in your life… and you survived!

But… we need to consider one other thing … has God asked you to change any habits lately? If He has, are you willing to make those changes?