Lately, the Lord has been counseling me a lot on the call of teaching. He’s showed me so much, in fact, it was all overwhelming to me and I had to write it down because it simply was too much to process (one of the reasons I love to write!), but it might be too much to write again, so I shall just share a few major concepts I am understanding at this point:
1) Teaching is a gift and calling: I am in charge of teaching those that are in my care right now. Beyond that, I must be CALLED to teach anyone else. It is an honor the Lord bestows upon anyone to be a teacher. It is a gift and honor and it has to come from the Lord. This helped me put teaching in the proper perspective. It comes with much responsibility and accountability and therefore, must come with a calling, as the Spirit enables me to be faithful (I would hate to lead anyone astray…and without the Spirit’s leading and enablement, this could easily happen).
2) Teaching requires much discernment and careful consideration: The Lord showed me that much discernment comes with teaching–the audience is very important and the method of teaching can vary greatly. Each child is different and different social rules apply, so the Lord must help me know how to teach a particular person (in my case right now, my children!). And discernment comes from the Spirit–another reason the calling is essential!!!
3) When teaching, God’s Word is the best teacher: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training…” (2 Timothy 3:6). The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word most powerfully. As the Word (Jesus) is spoken, the Spirit of the Lord (Holy Spirit) moves to convict and teach/train hearts to look more and more like the Lord (do you see the Trinity at work?). This way, the Spirit is the teacher…and there can be no misjudgment or error. What a relief! I had fallen into wrong thinking when I thought that my witness or testimony is my greatest way to teach others. God just really showed me that error in thinking. My testimony and witness is wonderful when God calls me to share, but oftentimes, He is drawing me to think about other people’s experiences and they differ from mine–they may not be similar! The more I live, the more I see that. So, it is better for me to think about others, meet them where they are, and use God’s word, as the Lord inspires it to me, to help them. If there is no inspiration (nothing from the Word), then that is another good sign for me to be still and quiet!
4) A life in action is the greatest teacher: Most times, the greatest method of teaching…and the method I can ALWAYS rely on and not question…is a quiet example. Simply living in obedience to God’s word is the greatest way the Holy Spirit can teach through me. I don’t have to figure anything out…I simply follow God’s will for me each day (ok, not so simple sometimes!!!), and let the Spirit of the Lord teach and counsel other people through me. I know the less words the better. For some reason, it is always a shock to me that the Lord really doesn’t want me to say much at all! What a powerful testimony though, right? Don’t they say that a picture is worth a thousand words? How about the picture of a Godly woman or a Godly family living in obedience to the Lord? Isn’t that worth a thousand words? It isn’t that my dear Father in Heaven doesn’t count me worthy to talk ( 😉 ), it is simply that I can do much more talking through my actions than my mouth. Remember the warnings in proverbs about the spoken word–the tongue–how powerful it is and how it can be very destructive?
What a helpful process for me to think through. I have always had a teacher’s heart! But, WOW, God wants me, right now, to focus my teaching on my responsibility right now and limit it there. If I am not in a position of responsibility, then God probably wants me to live that quiet life to witness to others. This is really important for those like me who like to assume responsibility when there isn’t any necessarily! It is wonderful to want to help and guide and mentor others, but it HAS to come from the Lord and be in HIS timing.
Walking in Faith 