Who Teaches You?

While studying for a message recently I ran across something that made me stop and think for a while. Actually, I am still pondering it and seeking to let it mold my thinking about how I live life and how I see our fellowship encouraging others to live life. I always enjoy it when I come to these moments in my life; I guess you could say they are "God moments” for me. They can draw attention to something brand new or be the kind of thing that you may already know deep down in your soul somewhere but haven’t really given it words, or concepts to bring substance to it. Sometimes it is directed towards a current situation or time of need and at other times it prepares us for what may be coming down the road, like finding a piece of the puzzle that enables you to put more of that puzzle together. I guess that's why it is called a living faith and not some dead philosophy or religious teaching but rather a living word.
This idea came from a book that I have enjoyed so much I have read it 3 times. It is a book that speaks my language, it shapes my thinking and it soothes my soul. The book is called "Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard. I find my self going back to it often in sermon prep or just to pick up a teachable principle for my leadership or the fellowship in general. I have read a few books like this over the course of my life but right now it is the one with most impact.
The statement I mentioned is found in the section called "On being a disciple, or student, of Jesus." He asks a couple of questions then makes a bold statement. "Who teaches you? Whose disciple are you? Honestly. One thing is sure: You are somebody's disciple. You learned how to live from somebody else. There are no exceptions to this rule. For human beings are just the kind of creatures that have to learn and keep learning from others how to live..."
Maybe, if you get a few hours of quiet time over the next few days or weeks you can enjoy this quote as I have over the past couple of weeks. I have used it to counsel a couple of young people who thought they we "self taught" and "their own persons" but by the end of the session had come to agree with this statement. I have used it in a sermon that got a few "amen’s" and some good old fashioned "humms" as I stopped talking and let this idea sink in a bit deeper.
Who is teaching you right now? Whose disciple are you? Honestly. Who is instructing you how to live at this season of life your in? Whose philosophies of life are you abiding by right now? Whose writings are you drawn to and why? Who have you granted leadership to in order to influence how you handle the day to day stuff of life? Colossians 2:8 Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ.
By the way I found a cool sight that gives you some good reading without reading the whole book for those who may be interested; http://www.christianbooksummaries.com/ Enjoy!