John Stanko

I am back in class this week for my Old Testament in the New class, but I am still reflecting on what I learned in my Leadership Communication class last week.  While there were many communication lessons I am still processing, there were two general principles that really stood out to me.

1.  I cannot learn from someone I am judging.  We read some books with which we all "disagreed."  When we disagreed, we began looking for fault in or limitations to what the author had written.  We therefore could not learn from the author because we had judged him, building a blind spot to anything meaningful that he had written. I saw that this was just what the Pharisees had done to Jesus.  As soon as they judged Him, they found fault with everything He said. 

2.  I must suspend what I know when I am learning.  When I think I know something, it may hinder me from learning anything new.  I  can assume I already know what there is to know about that item -- whether a concept, Bible verse, or theory.  I need to even apply this to people, for I can "write off" people because I think I "know" who they are and what they can do.

I am so delighted that God gave me the opportunity to invest time and effort into the study of His Word.  I am reading books I would otherwise not read, learning principles I would never have been exposed to, and growing in my understanding of our great God, which I hope will all translate into making me a more effective leader and disciple of our Lord.  Stay tuned for more reports from class, but for now, I have to get back to work.