Am I teachable? The Five Levels of Teachability

“Am I teachable?” If you’ve ever pondered this question or are wondering for the first time, here’s a quick overview of the levels of teachability, from memory, from a former mentor of mine:

Level One:

Not teachable. You scorn instruction, correction, and all manner of sharpening. You are easily offended. You will stay where you are in your current state of affairs and you will not receive the favor of man. According to Scripture (NKJV) you are a scoffer, you are a fool, and you are stupid.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. Proverbs 12:1

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15

A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Proverbs 15:1

Level Two:

You think you are teachable but you are not. You still haven’t fully humbled yourself before men to receive counsel and instruction. You are still mildly offended at times, when corrected, and you put up your defense walls when correction is given. You always have a justification as to why you did the thing you did, or why you were right in responding the way you did. You like learning, reading books, listening to podcasts etc. and you think that is being teachable but it is not.

Level Three:

You are teachable. You have learned to receive feedback. You have learned to look for and recognize the “grain of truth” in the feedback - even if it’s not been graciously given, if the truth’s not been spoken in love. You are willing to endure the pain of being sharpened and corrected. Because you understand that the truth, although it’s never harmful, can be painful at times, but in the end it always brings growth and healing. You are willing to endure the momentary pain of correction for the personal growth it will bring.

So teach us to number our days, that we might gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Level Four:

You are teachable and you pro-actively seek counsel, mentorship, and feedback. You offer to take others out for coffee or for lunch that you might glean from the wisdom they have to offer. You are learning the value of a multitude of counselors. You are seeking God for who He has placed in your life to disciple or mentor you, and you are asking those men or women to mentor you. You may even recognize the need for different mentors for different areas in your life - finances, marriage, etc. and are actively seeking those mentors in your life. Also, you are willing and learning to be vulnerable before your mentors and to let them speak into all areas of your life, even the most intimate areas.

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14

Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. Proverbs 15:22

Level Five:

You are teachable, you actively seek feedback, and you receive it graciously without objections or explanations. You’ve learned the value of a multitude of counselors. You’ve learned to humble yourself before men; in doing so you’ve attracted the favor of others who are ahead of you on the journey and who are willing to invest their time in you, whether on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. You have postured yourself to be so teachable that you attract increasing favor and mentors pour themselves into you as they know you are “good soil.” This means that you implement the advice and suggestions given by your mentor.

And you honor your mentors. The Kingdom of God operates within a culture of honor and you operate accordingly. You honor your mentors. One way you honor them is to give them specific feedback on how they are helping you and why you appreciate them. The more specific your feedback, the better. Another way you honor your mentor(s) is to pay for the coffee even if they have more money than you. It is one small way to honor them and their time (our most valuable resource) which they are freely giving to you.

And we urge you brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

Also, you understand that not everyone you might like can mentor you. Mentorships operate best in the context of relationships and not everyone has the time to mentor all of those who would like to be mentored by them. It’s the mentor who gets to decide who they feel called to mentor. If someone answers your request for mentorship with a “no” you graciously receive that and move on. Stage a protest and you are essentially burning a bridge that might connect you to a future mentor.

In conclusion, being teachable ties together with humility and vulnerability. You must be willing to lay down your protective defenses to be teachable. And you must be willing to be vulnerable. It’s like a three-fold cord. And all of the above is best achieved in the context of community and relationships within that community. You cannot go it alone. For myself, it started with an online community in 2020. First, I learned healthy vulnerability in a group setting as a group of us were mentored together. Then, I found myself with a like-minded smaller group who chose to continue the journey, and together we continued to gain trust with one another and with our mentor so that we could go deeper together through our willingness to be even more vulnerable with one another in a way that was protected and honored under the guidance of our mentor. And this is what gave many of us the emotional and spiritual health to seek out and be established in a physical community. Some had not stepped foot in church for a decade and some, never. But we were built for community and it is within the context of community we reach our potential. Because it is within community and relationships inside of community that we learn to be vulnerable and authentic with one another. It is also in community that we find our mentors. (And eventually those we are called to mentor.)

I would also like to make note here that I paid for my online mentorship, and I’m thankful for every dollar I invested in my spiritual growth. It was worth every dollar and then some. I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not done so. And I’m not here to argue or defend why these things should be free or paid; I simply believe *“the laborer is worthy of his hire/wages/reward” and I acted on my belief. It’s the same principle as when I pay Christian authors for their books and glean from their wisdom in that manner, as well as the two paid subscriber accounts I have here on Substack. Because each one carries something I do not, something I need to receive and will receive. It is a spiritual impartation. And it is a form of mentorship.

At any rate, this is one slice of what I learned in my three years of ministry school with Emerging Prophets and its founder Keith Ferrante. And what I have received, I now desire to impart. I can do no more and no less. It’s also why I’m currently offering Spiritual DNA consults for annual paid subscribers. They’re a lot of fun and a great way to get to know a person.

Godspeed and God bless my friends. God is good. Despite our circumstances at times, God is exceedingly good. He has a plan and each one of us has a portion in His plan.

*** 1 Timothy 5:18 and Luke 10:7