Wisdom is the principal thing in life. It's the master key that unlocks everything else we need. 

But there's something that must come before wisdom can truly take root in our lives - a teachable spirit. Without being teachable, we can't receive the wisdom God wants to give us. 

Wisdom gives us a higher perspective. It increases our influence and sets us up for success. It's where our best life begins. But, just like when your teen looks in the refrigerator full of food but claims "there's nothing to eat," we sometimes look at God's Word full of wisdom and say "there's nothing here for me." The problem isn't the supply of wisdom - it's our willingness to accept it. 

You don't need an Ivy League education to obtain wisdom - you just need a heart that recognizes God and wants to receive from Him. Your attitude is just as important as your aptitude. A person who has a humble attitude believes that God can teach them through every person, every situation, and even through mistakes. 

Interestingly, even Jesus had to grow in wisdom! Luke 2:52 tells us, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and all people." From age 12 to 30, Jesus was gaining wisdom. 

Proverbs 16:16 says, "How much better to get wisdom than gold and good judgment than silver!" When this was written, gold was the most valuable commodity on earth. Some people lived their entire lives without ever seeing it. For centuries, gold and silver represented the epitome of success - wealth, power, prestige, and endless opportunities. That's how important wisdom is to our lives. 

In the Bible, followers of Jesus are called disciples, which comes from the Greek word for "learner." Jesus' most common title was "Teacher." From the most basic definition, you cannot follow Jesus without being teachable.

Isaiah 53:6 says, "All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We've left God's path to follow our own." The word for "iniquity" describes a bent tree - one growing in an unnatural direction. Because of sin, each of us has an unnatural bend toward rebellion. The problem is how stealthy this tendency can be. There are several warning signs that reveal an unteachable spirit:

• Chronic failure - The Hebrew word for wisdom in Proverbs is "chokma," which means skill. God intends for us to become skillful in all we do. While everyone experiences setbacks, those with unteachable spirits endure loss after loss.

• Withdrawing from others - Our friends have profound influence in our lives, especially at decision-making crossroads. Unteachable people try to go it alone and struggle to ask for help. They view getting help as weakness rather than wisdom.

• Refusing responsibility - Like Adam and Eve blaming others for their sin, unteachable people blame everyone else for their circumstances. This is dangerous because blame guarantees you'll never be happy since you've made someone else responsible for your happiness.

• Rejecting correction - Everyone needs correction, and God places authorities in our lives to provide it. Proverbs tells us that our response to correction reveals whether we're foolish or wise.

Being teachable won't come naturally. You have to pursue the posture of a student and take actions that foster learning. Here are some practical steps:

1. Strive for a heart of submission

Scripture promotes living a life of submission. When we live submitted to God, to one another, and to those over us, we come under God's jurisdiction and protection. James 4 tells us, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." The word "oppose" means "to set in battle formation." God isn't rejecting you when you act in pride - He's resisting the pride in you because He only has your best interest at heart. 

2. Begin learning again

Neurologists have discovered our minds have almost endless capacity. The average brain can learn something new every second of every minute of every hour of every day for the next 300 million years! Unfortunately, about 60% of people never read another book after high school. Learning is loving God - part of the Great Commandment is to love the Lord with all your mind. The goal of learning is to expand our minds so we can expand our appreciation of what God is and what God has made. All truth is God's truth, and everything carries His fingerprint when we learn to see it.

3. Become addicted to asking for help

The average child asks about 125 questions a day, while adults ask only about 6. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we lose 119 questions daily - perhaps revealing why we miss out on so much wisdom. Wise people talk less and ask more. You've never met anyone you can't learn something from, but to access their wisdom, you need to do more asking than talking. Wise people also ask for corrections. Everyone has blind spots that others can see, but they won't help you see them until you give permission. Finally, wise people ask God about everything. John 16:13 promises, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth." God knows as much about financial markets as He does about forgiveness. Why not ask Him?

The good news is that a teachable spirit can be restored in a moment - all you have to do is ask. This week, make this your prayer: "Father, I ask you today for a teachable spirit." Wisdom is available if you're teachable. The distance between where you are and where you want to be is wisdom, and the determining factor in receiving God's wisdom is your willingness to learn.