Teaching - Takes Time

"Don’t be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life."

James 3:1-2 in The Message Paraphrase

[This is the 13th lesson of this series]

This excerpt was taken from a letter written in the 1st century to the 1st Christians (who came from the Jewish faith). They were forced to disperse to different locations from their homeland because they were being persecuted for their new faith.

This letter is attributed to the leader of the 1st church -- the Jerusalem Church.

We can deduce that from being all separated and residing in various places, there would have been reason to believe that many among them have started to teach the story of Christ, the stories He have told them, and the good news of salvation.

Held Accountable

This was not a bad thing. Although among the good teachers, there would have also sprouted the not so good ones. Among the effective, there will be the ineffective.

And this is one of the reasons why James wanted to tell them not to be hasty in becoming a teacher. It will take some time.

He basically is saying that not many of them should become teachers. He warned them those who teach will be judged more strictly. Teachers have more responsibilities and thus they should be more careful with what they say and how they are saying it.

Unqualified

James is saying that none of them are perfectly qualified to teach. And that is the truth.
There is always a chance that they will teach not just ineffectively but also incorrectly.

So how are they to teach then? Less words, less mistakes.

Be slow to speak and spend more time listening -- listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the counsel of those who spend a lot of quiet time with the Lord and God's Word.

Gift

It is by God's grace that teachers are able to teach effectively, and not for their own personal and selfish ambitions or self-centered reasons. But only for God's purpose by the power of God's Word and God's Spirit. Both should be present.

Every teaching should be the fruit of prayer and worship. Lessons are not hurried or rushed but effortlessly flowing by God's revelations. Every teaching should reflect God's love and God's message of reconciliation, and able to transform hearts and minds of those listening. Messages are not bound by place, time or human restrictions. Teaching topics are relevant and useful for pointing people to Christ and directing them to a Christ centered way of life.

One cannot teach what they do not know and practice doing. Teachers will fail from time to time but that is where the best lessons they will ever teach may come from. Once they learned that they can do nothing apart from Christ, they will know how and what to teach.

Teachers will live a life similar to Christ. The closer they live that lifestyle, the closer their teachings will be to the ones Christ have taught. Christ is the Teacher, they are just His students.