Be Coachable

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but those who hate to be rebuked are stupid.”

Proverbs 12:1

I was never the best baseball player on the field. I never threw the hardest, nor was I the fastest runner or best hitter. When you’re not the star, how can you contribute to your team? What I prided myself on was the willingness to grow as a player and to try to implement whatever my coaches were trying to teach me. In my experience as a player and coach, a coachable player is more desired than a star who is not.  

We preach this to our kids, and yet something happens in adulthood because rarely is being coachable raised up as a value in the workplace. Many times, we’re expected to have it all figured out. Especially as leaders, we are meant to cast a vision with confidence, and we shy away from owning our mistakes. I felt that way as a new priest leading a church; I lost my coachability, and I was worse off for it. A value that was highly regarded on the ballfield quickly seemed like a weakness in my professional life. Having a collar meant I had it all figured out, right? Yet we all know that mistakes can be great teaching moments—if we have a good coach by our side.

The same is true for marriage or parenting. We don’t have to have it all figured out. Mentors whom we look up to can help guide us as we navigate different relationships and situations. The willingness to be coachable is one of the most underrated values of adults.

The Bible confirms this line of thinking. The Book of Proverbs is filled with sound advice that has been passed down through the ages. The general assumption throughout Proverbs is that those who are wise will take heed of its words, while the foolish think they can do it all by themselves. Discipline from a master teacher actually leads to our flourishing! We are not weak when we take advice; we are actually wise when we realize we cannot do it by ourselves. Jesus, as the ultimate Master Teacher, constantly formed his disciples through his teaching and even his words of correction. As stubborn as Peter could be, we must admit that he was coachable. Maybe we can follow in his footsteps and take heed of our Lord’s words to us. And if we don’t know how, then it might be time to find a mentor.

Photo by Quilia on Unsplash