Do You Want to Be a Teacher?
Do you really want to be a teacher?
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” James 3:1
What is it that you can do for God? What does God want you to do?
Does He tell us by means of a dream he has placed in our hearts?
You might not know exactly what God expects of you or what your dream is, but you can trust God, who gives the dream.
My wife and I homeschooled our four boys. (Well, she is much more so than I). People have praised and ridiculed us for doing this. Having seen our children in public school and having homeschooled them, I can honestly say that the quality of a student’s education depends on one thing: the quality of the teacher.
You can legislate and administrate, but if the teacher fails to educate, the student will not learn very much. I had teachers who made a difference in my life in elementary, middle, high school, and college.
Some teachers can make the most boring subjects exciting, and others can make the most exciting subjects boring. I guess that is why teachers and pastors have so much in common.
You have heard the phrase “to whom much is given, much is expected.” That is actually a loose translation of Luke 12:48. James reemphasizes that verse in James 3:1. The Bible says that teaching comes with awesome requirements and great responsibility.
The requirement is not that many should do it. It is a calling from almighty God. We must teach the truth and realize that God will judge us more strictly.
We have a greater accountability to God. The responsibility is to be mature Christians and to watch what we say. We are to watch the words we use. We all stumble, and I must confess that we all say the wrong thing at times, but our words matter.
I have been deeply blessed to have had Christian teachers in my life. I have had teachers who have gone the extra mile, and I am eternally grateful.
Notice the verse again, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” James 3:1
Evidently, everyone wanted to be a teacher of the Word in the church at Jerusalem. These verses speak specifically to pastors and Sunday school teachers, but they also imply implications for a school teacher and a parent.
The word means “instructor” and comes from a root meaning “to teach.” The conclusion then is that anyone who has the responsibility to instruct another must realize this is a calling from God. We are all called as parents to train or instruct our children in what God expects of them.
Teachers are under a special obligation not only to practice what they preach but also to ensure that what they teach is true.
The Pharisees and religious scholars of Jesus’ day did not practice what they preached. Jesus said this about them in Matthew 23:3, “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.”
He said, ” Do what they say to do, but don’t live like them. How sad it is that we live in a day when morality is no longer a requirement for teaching in many instances.
The world would say that sexual sins or character failures are no longer an issue when picking a teacher. I believe character counts. Sin is still sin, and God says this is serious business.
There will come a day when everyone stands before God, and on that day, we cannot say we didn’t know. We have been entrusted to teach our children and teach others about the things of God.
Keep looking up!
Heaven is closer than you think.
May God bless your day.
Related devotionals: How to tame the tongue · Proverbs 18:21 power of words · James 2:14 real faith
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If today’s devotional spoke to your heart, my books carry these same themes deeper. Stories of God moving in ordinary lives, scripture for tired pastors and weary parents, and steady reminders that heaven is closer than you think.