Knowing my love for antiques, a friend recently gave me her grandmother’s rocking chair. There’s something about a rocking chair that produces thoughts of wise elderly women rocking back and forth and knitting or crocheting as they exude more wisdom with every stitch. I often wish I could sit at the feet of these women as they speak the knowledge they have gained from their many years on earth and the experiences that resulted in the wisdom they are able to share.
Learning from others is critical to our own growth as individuals. The wealth of information available to us is increasing with every page we read from biographies, every article we read online, every Facebook status, every blog post, every tweet and so on. So why, and again I ask, why, would we not avail ourselves of every opportunity to learn from others?
The answer? I believe that our pride makes us think we are worthy of nothing less than being teachers; therefore, we naturally shy away from admitting our need to remain students even as we teach. I may not like everything a teacher/writer/blogger does, but I want to learn what I can from their experience, wisdom and knowledge, add in my God-focused philosophy of life and be better off for having learned what they were able to teach.
Let me quickly add that I believe we can learn SOMEthing from everyone—even if it is merely becoming stronger in our own beliefs by learning that we don’t want to be like them or follow their teachings at all! But the important thing is to approach each person, each day and each experience as though they were lessons from which to learn.
However, humility of heart is required, for in placing ourselves under the teaching of another we are admitting that we have not yet achieved perfection!
This desire to learn from others is prevalent in the Bible in the life of Joshua. His numerous references to all that Moses taught him demonstrate humility, gratitude and a teachable spirit that formed him into a great national leader. Though appointed by God Himself, Joshua respected the wisdom Moses had gained from following God. Joshua clearly intended to honor Moses—and God!—by applying that knowledge to his own life and to his leadership of God’s people. [I encourage you to read the Book of Joshua and note all the references to the teachings of Moses!]
No matter our biological age, there will be times when we are called upon to sit in the rocking chair and times when we will have opportunities to sit at the feet of others in the rocking chair. May we be willing to view both through the eyes of opportunity and with a heart of humility for the unique set of privileges that they hold.