Mark 6:39-40 - “He also told them this parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit! A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

In this simple, yet profound story, Jesus tells us that we must be careful who we choose to listen to…learn from… follow in life, for as goes the teacher, so goes the student. In the case of the blind leading the blind, the results can be the “pits” for all involved!

When I consider the people I want to be “my teachers” in life, the ones I want to follow, I’m convinced they must be men and women of certain “values.” They must be “teachers” who: 1) Value wisdom over knowledge; 2) Value character over charisma; 3) Value diligence and consistency over momentary flashes of brilliance; 4) Value loving people over using them; 5) Value the Word of God over the opinions of others; 6) Value exalting His Name over their own; and, 7) Value seeking after Jesus above all else. Granted, my “value criteria” is not exhaustive, but I think it’s a good start for keeping me away from the pits, that is, as long as I remain willing to learn from those God wants to teach me.

Father, please keep me teachable in life, for if I stop learning, I will stop living. But also guard me from following anyone who may lead me away from You in any way. I echo this especially for my own children, for there are so many “teachers” in the world today screaming for their attention. May they follow after You and learn from “Your teachers” who have hearts to do the same. And for any “students” who I have the responsibility and honor of teaching, may I be the kind of teacher who helps them become more like my Savior, the ONLY ONE truly worth following!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 25th, 2006 at 5:05 am and is filed under Daily Readings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.