⁴⁶ After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard Him was amazed at his understanding and His answers. (Luke 2:46-47, NIV)

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. ⁵⁴ Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. ⁵⁵ "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? (Matthew 13:53-55, NIV)

When Jesus was just a boy, He demonstrated a deep desire to learn.  Last time we discussed with amazement that the God who became Man would go through the normal human growth cycle - growing in wisdom (mentally) and stature (physically) and in His vertical relationship with God (Spiritual) and horizontal relationship with people (Social/Emotional).  The key to His personal growth was a teachable spirit - some might say, a "self-directed learner."

A passionate leader is not one who has "arrived" and knows all the answers.  In business you can run into problems that no one can figure out.  Everyone has their own opinion about what to do.  At such points, I often joke with the executives of my company that it would be nice if they would just take out the master playbook and let us know exactly what to do next.  They laugh because there is no such master plan.  They are just figuring it out along the way.

If there were such a leader who had "arrived" it would be because the leader had a teachable spirit.  Passionate leaders seek the knowledge and experience of others to help them understand the path forward.  Look at the example of our LORD Jesus.  "they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46, NIV).  Even as a boy, He had grasped this principle of seeking out those who had knowledge, asking questions, and listening to their views.  Whether you agree with someone or not, you can always learn from them.  Understanding others is the foundation of passionate leadership.

Jesus was not only open to learning but was a self-directed learner.  This is a key point for those who would be passionate leaders.  The people of Nazareth knew Jesus from childhood.  They knew about His upbringing, how His father mentored Him in the carpentry business, and that He never had any academic schooling.  Hearing His teaching in the synagogue, "they were amazed. 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?' they asked. 'Isn't this the carpenter's son?'" (Matthew 13:54-55a, NIV).

Jesus was determined to learn and used every means available to Him.  He obviously spent time reading the Scriptures, meditating on their meaning, and memorizing key passages.  In His encounter with the devil in the wilderness, Jesus responded to each of the devil's temptations by quoting a relevant verse from the Scriptures (Matthew 4:4,7,10).  From childhood, He spent time in the synagogues either learning (as we see in Luke 2:46-47) or teaching (Matthew 13:54 and many others).

Challenge yourself to be a self-directed learner.  Continue learning new things.  It keeps the mind fresh and active.  And you never know where or how you may use your newfound knowledge.  If you are leading a group of people in Bible study, it is imperative that you "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV).  To lead others in the study of God's word, you must yourself be a good student of the Bible.

Keep in mind, also, that self-directed learning is only the human part of the study process.  When it comes to the word of God, you must have the Spirit of God to help you understand what it written:

¹² We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. ¹⁴ The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14, NIV)

The good news is that if you really want to know God and study His word, He will help you understand it.  It is His passion that you become that approved workman who really knows how to understand and apply His truths to your life.  As a leader, He also wants you to be able to teach those truths and make application for those in your charge.

How will you become a better learner in order to be a passionate leader?  What will your study plan be?  Remember, if you aim at nothing, you will always hit your mark.

Bottom line: A passionate leader engages in self-directed learning to understand God's will for leading others.