I Choose Today to Remain Teachable

When I was younger, I played a lot of sports.

One thing my coaches repeated over and over was that if we wanted to grow as athletes, we had to be coachable and teachable.

That meant being willing to learn something new by acquiring new information, and then actually trying it. It meant receiving feedback without becoming defensive. It meant learning from mistakes and trying again. It meant stepping outside our comfort zone and trusting that the coach saw something we might not yet see in ourselves.

A good coach stretches you.
Motivates you.
Encourages you.
Corrects you.
And sometimes positions you in ways that feel uncomfortable because they know it will help you grow.

But none of that works if the athlete refuses to be taught.

To be coachable requires humility. It requires a desire to learn. It requires being self-aware enough to recognize where improvement is needed and courageous enough to make changes. Constructive criticism becomes a gift instead of a threat. The goal is growth.

As I was praying this morning, asking the Holy Spirit to teach and train me for the position He has placed me in, something dawned on me.

The Holy Spirit is our spiritual teacher.

In many ways, He is our spiritual coach.

Jesus actually described the Holy Spirit this way when He spoke to His disciples.

In John 14:26, Jesus said:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.”

And again in John 16:13:

“When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.”

The Holy Spirit doesn’t just comfort us. He teaches us.

He reminds us of truth.
He corrects our thinking.
He guides our steps.
He helps shape our character so we look more like Christ.

But just like in sports, growth requires a posture of humility and willingness to learn.

We have to be teachable.

We have to listen.

We have to be willing to adjust when the Spirit reveals something that needs to change.

Scripture gives us many examples of people learning this lesson.

Paul is one of them. Before encountering Christ, Paul was convinced he was doing the right thing by persecuting Christians. But when Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus, Paul had to become teachable. Everything he thought he knew had to be reevaluated. His heart had to be humbled, his understanding reshaped, and his life redirected.

Another powerful example is Peter.

Peter loved Jesus deeply, but he still had things to learn.

In Acts 10, Peter had a vision from God showing him that the gospel was not only for the Jewish people but for the Gentiles as well. This challenged Peter’s long-held beliefs about what was clean and unclean.

Three times the vision was repeated, and the Spirit instructed Peter to go with the men who had come looking for him.

Later, Peter explained what he had learned:

“So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection… God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.”
(Acts 10:29, 28)

Peter had to adapt his thinking.

He had to let the Holy Spirit reshape his understanding.

And because Peter was willing to listen and respond, the door of the gospel opened to the Gentile world.

It makes me wonder how many moments in our own lives the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us something.

Maybe He’s correcting an attitude.

Maybe He’s stretching us in an uncomfortable direction.

Maybe He’s inviting us to see people differently.

Maybe He’s asking us to trust Him in a new way.

But growth only happens when we remain teachable.

The Holy Spirit is always ready to guide us, but we have to be willing to listen, receive correction, and allow Him to shape us.

Just like an athlete grows under the guidance of a good coach, our spiritual growth happens when we remain humble before the Spirit.

He stretches us.
Encourages us.
Redirects us.
And sometimes lovingly corrects us.

But every adjustment He makes is for our growth and for God’s glory.

The question isn’t whether the Holy Spirit is willing to teach us.

The question is…

Are we willing to be coached?

Today’s Step

Take a few quiet minutes today and ask the Holy Spirit a simple question:

“Lord, is there anything You are trying to teach me right now?”

Sit with that question for a moment.

Maybe it’s an attitude that needs adjusting.
Maybe it’s a step of obedience you’ve been hesitant to take.
Maybe it’s a new perspective God wants to show you.

Write down whatever comes to mind and ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond with humility and courage.

Then take one small step in the direction He is leading.

Growth with God doesn’t happen all at once.

It happens when we remain teachable.

Today, choose to listen.