The “L” Word

by Randy Lawrence Jr

Farmers farm. Fishers fish. Runners run. Singers sing. Leaders _____.

Lead?  Right?  You are correct, Ke-mo sah-bee. But how about another “L” word: LEARN. Leaders learn. Leaders are learners and the minute we stop learning we stop leading. So if I’m not learning, then I’m not leading.

Now this is really good preaching material, and I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, but if we were to take an honest evaluation of ourselves, I wonder what we would discover as it relates to our personal commitment to learning?

Am I committed to learning?

You see at the core of discipleship, is learning. The heartbeat of what we know and refer to as “discipleship” is a commitment to “learning.”  This is not a one-stop deal, an all-inclusive package, or a class that we complete, but rather a commitment to becoming a life-long learner!

I’ll never forget going back to the DMV (Lord, have mercy) to get my drivers license renewed.  Do you know what the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles had the guts to do?  They made me take the written drivers exam again!! “Seriously,” I thought to myself, “You mean they expect me to remember this stuff 10 years after taking my first test?” I found myself in a serious pickle as I strived to think back to my drivers-ed course from my high school days! The result? I failed miserably! I was forced to go back and study again.  You see, I thought that it was a one-time deal! BAM! Study, cram, take the test, and I’m DONE!

How many times do we view learning the same way? 

“Well, I got my degree!”

“Well, I finally passed the Ordination Exam!”

“Well, I’m officially a small group leader!”

“Well, I just got voted in as ____________.”

Please hear me; I’m not downplaying our accomplishments, especially as they relate to learning.  Graduating with a degree is a HUGE accomplishment! Getting ordained or obtaining leadership roles/positions are significant achievements that should be celebrated!  But they cannot be the end. Learning is not a page that we turn, or a chapter we finish.  Being a leader means I am committed to being a life-long learner. Regardless of rank, position, or title, if I still have a pulse, I should be committed to learning.  Perhaps one reason we (the Church) are struggling with discipleship is because we ourselves are struggling with being a disciple?  

I love the simple but powerful words of Christ in Matthew 11, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me…” (emphasis added).  What a privilege we have to experience the daily opportunity of learning from Christ. The choice is ours to make. Will I learn? Will I lead?  Will I disciple? Benjamin Franklin said, “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”  As much as I hate to admit it, that trip to the DMV was good for me. It taught me a valuable lesson I will never forget.  Today, let’s make a renewed commitment to discipleship. How?  By validating our role as leaders with a renewed commitment to learning. To me, that is relevant.