“Know what you know – and know what you DON’T know!” That was the advice I was given by one of my teachers many years ago when they were asked how to prepare for an upcoming test. There are a number of ways you can take that statement – but any way you take it, it is good advice (although not always practical). While we don’t want a world full of “know-it-alls”, it is equally dangerous for us to believe that we don’t have blind spots in our knowledge. When that happens, we can become willfully ignorant of the things we don’t know. Some may say ignorance is bliss, but this kind of ignorance in our understanding of Scripture is what has led many leaders down the wrong doctrinal path toward heresy. Instead, we need is a teachable spirit.

Knowledge and wisdom come with age and experience. This well-known principle has been known for thousands of years. In the early church when Paul’s protégé in the faith, Timothy, was ordained to become a Pastor at a young age (some scholars say possibly in his teens), there were concerns that Timothy was too young, inexperienced, naïve and ill-equipped to lead a local body of believers. That is why Paul tells him “let no man despise thy youth” (1 Timothy 4:12). In today’s speak, we may read that to mean – “don’t let anybody tell you that you aren’t good enough, smart enough, and gifted enough to be the Pastor”. However, that was not Paul’s intent. Instead, he admonishes Timothy to counter this youthful inexperience and “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine”. He challenges Timothy to fill in those blind spots and know what he doesn’t know. To accomplish this, Timothy would need to have a teachable spirit and not believe the lie that he had “arrived”. He admonishes Timothy to work hard, study hard, and live righteously. This would be proof to the congregation that age is not as important as the modeling of a teachable and humble spirit to his congregation.

At some point along the way each of us (both young and old) can get the impression that either we know all that we need to know (i.e. the knowledge tank is full) and/or the things we don’t know aren’t important (and so have chosen not to invest in learning those things). This is where we hit the danger zone because pride can begin to creep in. One pre-requisite for the pastorate is for men to be “not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6). A novice can easily come to the place where they believe they have all the answers and a spirit of pride can blind them to their need to have a teachable spirit.

The Apostle Paul was well-versed in the Scriptures, had much experience with leadership, had a tremendous work ethic, had direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit and many accolades to his name. Yet we see him struggling and wrestling with the pride that can plague someone with this knowledge and experience. He had to recognize that “what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7). He desired to “be found in him, not having mine own righteousness” (Philippians 3:9). He admitted in humility that it was “not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after” (Philippians 3:12). In other words, he recognized that his knowledge and experience were not enough. He needed to know what he didn’t know. He needed to continue to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14).

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have all the facts, that your knowledge tank is full, or that what you don’t know doesn’t matter. Whether you are young or old, take the admonishment to Timothy for yourself and “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” Fill in those empty places and voids and remember to maintain a teachable spirit. “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly.” (Romans 12:3)