One of the greatest attributes a Christian can have is always to remain teachable. 

There is a story told in Muppet Land called the Yes Fish. This story finds baby Ms. Piggy traveling to the bottom of the ocean in search of a treasure chest rumored to contain great power. Throughout her trip, she is surrounded by a group of fish called Yes-Fish. These yellow fish look very cool with blue fins and crazy glasses, seemingly smart and comforting. And these fish answer every question Ms. Piggy asks with a “YES!”; should I touch this? YES! Should I enter that cave? YES! Should I keep searching for the chest? YES! Eventually, Ms. Piggy finds this chest but has second thoughts about the opening. She remembers those that advised against her journey that the chest contained a great evil that should never be released. Torn between excitement and fear, Ms. Piggy leaves it to those fish that have been with her the entire trip. So, she asks them, should I open this chest, to which they reply, YES! So, with excitement, she flings open the chest, and immediately two large black blobs seep out and start to consume everything they touch. They grow bigger and bigger with everything they consume, eventually finishing the entire ocean, leaving only a path of destruction and desolation. Ms. Piggy, now standing on the dry ground that used to be the ocean floor, and surveying all the death around her, regrets her decision. 

While she listened to the Yes fish, she failed to recognize that Yes Fish always say “yes,” don’t always tell the truth, but their counsel almost always leads to trouble.

What a great life lesson for us. How often do we intentionally surround ourselves with people and information that simply confirm our beliefs, justify our responses, support our decisions, and reaffirms our evaluations of self or circumstance? While this may be the path to “feeling good,” it rarely results in growth or success. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (ESV). 

When you limit your counsel to those in your circle, thereby surrounding yourself with Yes fish, you reject godly advice from a different view, thereby missing out on potential growth. 

One of the greatest attributes a Christian can have is always to remain teachable. 

Oh, how many folks hear criticism and simply shut down and stop whatever they were doing instead of considering the input and doing the difficult thing; growing. We live in a Yes Fish world where folks only want to listen to what they want to hear, and any voice that goes against their opinion is discarded at best or violently silenced at worse. 

May today, we all open ourselves to those voices that God places in our lives that may not feel good but maybe for our good.

Scripture: “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” -Proverbs 19:20

Question: Think back to when you were given some criticism that hurt your feelings. Did you use it to grow or allow bitterness to flow?

Prayer: Father, sometimes hearing from an opposing view is challenging, yet may I recognize that you can use those voices to stretch my faith and grow in grace. With your strength, I desire to open my circle of influence to opposing views and different ways, that once filtered through your Word, I genuinely consider as tools in expanding my beliefs, changing my practices, and becoming more equipped to serve. Thank you for your instruction, and may I always remain teachable. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.