Tuesday 25 March 2008

Teacher, teach yourself

Romans 2.17-24
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonour God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
The danger of knowing God's word - loving God's word - of loving teaching God's word to students, revelling in it with Relays, listening to Piper preach Romans on mp3s, delighting to lead God's people in a new hymn to sing God's word to one another: the danger, that while doing all this, I do not teach myself. Hearing a study on humility, while harbouring pride in my heart. Teaching
a hymn on the resurrection while feeding the crucified-with-Christ-man, rather than living resurrection life. Reading a multitude of books: but how much of their truth is in me, or is it just on my shelves and in my mind?

Lord, don't let me teach what I haven't, to some degree by the gracious powerful work of your Spirit, learned of you. Give grace to always be humble, contrite, trembling at your word, before, during and after teaching it.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

gulp. thanks for the honesty and highlighting this real and present danger.