David Murray On The Most Essential Life Skill That Determines Successful People From Failures

     
GETTING BACK AFTER BEING AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER ALL WEEKEND, as I wandered with a good friend to Civil War sites in Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi. It's getting easier to walk away at times from constant connectivity with its often grand distractions and need to know.

Anyway, getting back has led me to a wonderful piece this morning via Tim Challies written by reformed pastor and teacher David Murray on the number one life skill that he believes is the essential determinant and predictor of success or failure in life: a teachable spirit. I love to post wisdom that I, myself, need to read, remember, pray about and cogitate on. When I think I've got it---anything---knocked, that's when I need to hear it most.  Hubris is something the fallen human spirit---without the Grace of God---does best. Murray writes:

There’s one characteristic that separates the successful from the unsuccessful in every walk of life: teachability. Those who are teachable, and remain so, usually succeed. The unteachable usually fail. I’ve seen that in business, I’ve seen it in the ministry, I’ve seen it among students, and I’ve seen it in my children.

No matter how much talent and gifting we have, if we are, or become, unteachable, we will never reach anywhere near our full potential in our careers, our callings, or our relationships.

The Distinguishing Difference Think of all the successful people you know, what is it that distinguishes them all? It’s teachability, isn’t it.Think of all the people you know that never really made the most of the gifts and opportunities God gave them. Unteachability is the common thread, isn’t it?

If there’s one thing I want to to teach my children and students, it’s teachability. When I speak to young people or students, I can usually tell quite quickly the ones who will do well in their lives and callings. And those who won’t. Teachability makes the difference. Teachability gets people to the top. But if you lose teachability at the top, you won’t be at the top for long..

Read his whole, wise piece.