Student, Teacher?

Do you realize that the teacher is also the student?

Quite some time ago, God gave me the privilege of and responsibility to teach. I took it on with some trepidation, knowing that those who teach are held to a higher accountability (James 3:1). I have taught children, teens and women. Each comes with a unique set of challenges, but all come with one common thread: God uses the experience to teach the teacher.

Sometimes the learning comes through my preparation. As I study to teach others, I find new pieces of information, see scripture in a new light or realize that application is necessary in my own life in that area. Other times the learning comes through a question asked in class that propels me toward digging deeper or causes me to break something down to a simpler level of understanding. Then, there are the times when I don’t even realize I’m teaching myself.

Just last week, as I was teaching my ladies’ Sunday school class, I said something that was not in my notes. I looked around the room and realized the statement didn't really apply to many of the women in there, and wondered briefly why God would have opened my mouth to speak that particular example. I finished teaching the class, and moved on through my week. A couple of days later I knew exactly why God opened my mouth to speak that example… because it was for me! I faced exactly the example I had used in class. Because I had spoken it in front of everyone, I had a layer of accountability built right into my tough situation. God knew, even if I did not, that I needed that point driven in deep so that it could resurface at just the right time. He knew I needed His word hidden in my heart that I might not sin against Him. Even as He has, on other occasions, opened the ears of my students, on that morning He opened my ears. He drew my heart to Himself, and eventually gave me courage to trust Him and to follow Him in love and obedience (just as I encourage my students to do).

I often say that I will prepare and teach whether one woman shows up or 20, and now you know why: even if the teacher is the only one in the room, there is a student present who needs to hear the Word and be transformed.