"Expert" vs. Learner

I believe God puts all sorts of information and situations in front of us, a steady stream learning environment, so we can mature and grow.

It's work, but you'll learn a lot more if you take the attitude of "I can learn something from this," rather than "I'm an expert and will pass judgment on this."

I systematically read about teaching, the psychology of learning, how to communicate information effectively (meaning, so it changes behavior), etc. After a while it's pretty easy to become jaded. "Yup, seen that before. Actually, I've seen much better than that. I already know that. I'm beyond that. Oops, there's a grammar error."

Do you think my mind and heart are open to learning, to growth, when I'm passing judgment on a book or article like this? Nope.

There's an informative breakdown for the word 'expert.' Ex means former, and a spurt is a drip under pressure.

The same thing can happen in our Bible reading. "Ok, let's see what the plan says to read today. Ok, Psalm 139. Yes. Ok, that's familiar. Yup, I see I already underlined that verse. No news here, what's next on the reading plan. Psalm 140. Ok..."

Purpose to come at material with fresh eyes, open hearts, and desire to learn.

If it's important material, even if you've read it before, remember Richard Halverson's statement: "It is as important to be reminded as it to be informed." Consider how many times God tells His people to "remember."

Even if it's not the best quality information (e.g., some magazine article), be open to what you can learn. Don't pass judgment quickly, or you will cheat yourself out of something worthwhile. And you put your mind in a warped state that makes it very difficult to learn from outstanding information when it does come before you!

Finally, model this behavior for others. Especially the people God wants you to teach!