The Law of Solid Ground Part 5
When Leaders Lose Their Teachablility
Samson’s self-centered, undisciplined, and arrogant nature made him unteachable.
What happens when leaders lose their teachability?
- They lean on their own strength and understanding.
Unteachable leaders lose touch with God and His people. They lean on their own strength and do not seek guidance from God or others. Samson repeatedly used brute force and violence to cope with difficulties. When embarrassed at his wedding feast, he killed 30 men. When the men of Judah turned him over to Philistia, he bludgeoned to death a thousand men. When caught with a prostitute, he ripped apart the city gates of Gaza. Samson didn’t take the advice of his parents, never took advice from his people, and didn’t look to God for guidance. Worse still, Samson never acknowledge God as the source of his strength. He went from a man of anointing to a man of arrogance. - They fail to learn from their mistakes.
A person’s life runs uphill or downhill, depending on whether he fails forward or backward. It’s a mistake only if you don’t learn from it. Samson’s life reveals no record of improvement, only a downward spiral. For leaders to learn from their mistakes they must be . . .• Big enough to admit mistakes. Samson blamed everyone else for his problems. He never once admitted
his sin or humbled himself before God.
• Smart enough to profit from them. It’s one thing to know you’re wrong; it’s another to figure out why you erred.
• Strong enough to correct them. If you can’t implement necessary changes, you can’t improve yourself or your situation.
- They react rather than lead.
While good leaders are proactive, unteachable people almost exclusively react. When Samson saw the daughter of Timnah, he immediately asked for her in marriage. When his wife married his best man, he burned down the Philistines’ fields. Samson reacted right up to his death—and left his people groaning under Philistine oppression. - They are easily defeated.
Unteachable people always lose. Even great talent (like Samson’s) can take a person only so far. Samson’s character flaw, left unrepaired because of an unteachable spirit, lead to moral erosion and unchecked sin—and that led to his destruction.
Who knows what might have happened had Samson ever humbly connected with God or sought the guidance and accountability of his people.
Join me next time for The Law of Solid Ground Part 6.