Traits – Are Lifetime Learners, Zealous for the Truth

This week as I continue sharing traits of an effective leader, I focus on the need for leaders to be lifelong learners always pursuing the truth.  Leaders do well to read broadly and expose themselves to great thinkers. There is always great value in learning from others who have gone before and to glean from the things that they learned.  As it has been said many times, there is no need to reinvent the wheel.  Continually expanding our mind is vital mental renewal. It is good to be curious, always asking questions, expanding your education, seeking good ideas, and developing new skills.  It is analogous to sharpening a saw.  One who does so works more efficiently and accomplishes more.  Today we are living in the Information Age, a time where we have instant access to more information than ever before in human history. But not all information is relevant and not all information provided is truth. Therefore, it is important for us to filter what we learn with the timeless truth of God’s Word.  Jesus said his purpose in coming to the world was to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). That those who continue in his word would know the truth and the truth would set them free (John 8:32).  So as we do the valuable work of learning, let us be wise in not merely pursuing knowledge, but in also pursuing truth. – Dr. Gary Mathes