Some will read the title and naturally assume it does not apply to them because they do not have the gift of teaching. However, we are all teachers. Some do it formally, but we all do it by example. I want to address how we all teach in our day-to-day lives. I want to make us aware of the opportunities and how we can expand on them to gain maximum value eternally. I want us to teach ourselves how we can recognize these moments.
In Exodus chapter 4, God gives Moses instructions on how to speak to the people and lead them out of Egypt. He makes every excuse possible, and God gives solutions for each. This dialogue continues until God grows angry with Moses’ excuses. This teaches us that He is not trusting God. It also teaches us that he is selfish and does not want to obey. In verse 12, God specifically tells Moses to teach the people, and He will tell him what to say. If Moses had not followed God’s plan, I’m sure He would have used someone else, and He will do the same in our situations, but disobedience always brings consequences. When we do not surrender to His plan, we will suffer the consequences.
Exodus 4:10-12 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
From the time Jesus entered His ministry until His ascension, He was teaching. He never passed up the opportunity to convey truths to those in His presence. In Matthew 11:1, Jesus has just finished instructing and teaching His disciples to go and teach and preach. Now we find Jesus doing this same thing to multitudes. “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.”
In Deuteronomy 6:7, God instructs us to teach our children. We are to teach diligently, with intensity, and deliberately, all the time. We do this in time set aside to read God’s word with them, by using things that happen to relate it to God’s word. When they do wrong, remind them of the verse in Numbers 32:23, which says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” We need to use punishment for wrong as a consequence of sin. Use positive examples, such as a good grade in school, to show the consequences of doing what is right. When you are outside, use the beauty of nature to teach about creation. You can use turning on a light as an illustration of faith. You do not need to understand how it works to believe that it does. All around us, everyday events should be used to teach biblical truths. Jesus did this throughout His ministry on earth. He used a mustard seed in Luke 13:19 to teach how something so small and seemingly insignificant can grow to be great in the kingdom. In John 13:12, He washed their feet to teach servanthood and humility, and in Luke 10:33, He taught them about having compassion for others with the story of the Good Samaritan. He used simple things like salt, light, and bread to convey spiritual truths. These are examples for us to learn from and to pass on to those around us.
Deuteronomy 6:7 “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Luke 13:19 “It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
John 13:12 “So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?”
Luke 10:33 “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.”
God did not give us His word to view as a storybook to read and enjoy like we do other books. It is truth for life that we need to learn and pass on to those around us. We must teach by our example and by instruction. When you are in the workforce, it should not take long for people to know you are different. Some may ask why you do what you do. This is the perfect time to teach them about your love for Christ and what He has done for you and them. Little things like coming in early so you can be done in time for Bible study on Wednesday night, or working on Saturday to meet a deadline, allowing you to be off on Sunday. Don’t miss an opportunity to teach, preferring another person above yourself, as in Philippians 2:3, where we are taught to esteem others as better than yourself. Say thank you to show gratitude for the little things. Do not lose your cool when the store clerk is being inconsiderate. If you do, you have done the same thing by retaliating. Remember, we are always teaching something and someone by the way we act or react to situations. It is time to take advantage of all the opportunities that God gives us to reveal the truth that we are taught in His word. It is time to be obedient servants, all the time. Start today by allowing God to teach you and then pass it on to someone else.
