Thursday, November 17
Coachable
Scripture: Job 6-7, Psalm 133, Luke 17
Luke 17:3–4 Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Luke 17:9–10 Does he thank that servant because he did what was commanded? 10 In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we’ve only done our duty.’ ”
Observation
Jesus said if your brother sins, rebuke him. Most of us don’t like giving rebukes or receiving them. Why would Jesus tell us to do this? I don’t think Jesus meant to create a religious police state where we’re constantly watching for others’ failures so we can correct them. Instead, I think it is motivated by brotherly love. If I see you doing something that is wrong, and therefore harmful, I should warn you out of love, correct you out of concern for your well-being.
Then Jesus told a story. When a servant comes in from a day’s work, the master doesn’t thank him and invite him to dinner, but expects him to finish his work first, then eat. In the same way, when we’ve done all that’s commanded, we should say, “We don’t deserve special praise; we’ve only done what was our duty.” (The phrase “we don’t deserve special praise” is a better translation of the Greek than “we are unworthy servants”—it is more to Jesus’ point.)
Application
Let’s combine these two thoughts. Humility is the common ingredient.
First, we must be humble and teachable to receive a rebuke. My first response when corrected is to be defensive. But I’ll never learn and grow if I only defend myself and don’t receive correction.
Coaches loves players who are “coachable,” meaning they receive correction and apply it. They aren’t prideful, stubborn, unteachable.
That’s how I want to be: coachable, teachable, humble enough to receive correction.
And I want to love others enough to risk rebuke when called for. That’s hard, because most people don’t want to be rebuked or corrected—it strains relationships…which is why it’s so important that we’re coachable.
Second, we must not seek or expect accolades when we do what God says. Even if we did it all—and none of us comes close to that—we could only say that we have done our duty, nothing above and beyond, nothing deserving of special praise. Once again: humility is key.
I think of our military or police or fire or other servicemen and women who do extraordinary things but deflect praise and say, “I was only doing my job, what is expected of me.”
I am the Lord’s servant. When have I ever gone above and beyond? Even if I could do everything, I would have only done my duty.
Prayer: Lord, cultivate genuine humility in me. Make me curious, teachable, a good listener, non-defensive—coachable. And help me love others enough to correct when necessary—always from a humble posture. Help me do everything you ask!