On Saturday, I attended the funeral service of a very dear and wonderful woman.
She was a woman of outstanding character who was actively involved in our church for decades.
She loved God and served Him faithfully for many years.
She taught Sunday School and for a number of those years she taught our confirmation class.
I consider myself blessed because I was but one of the many students that she mentored along the way and I certainly am the richer for it.
Our pastor had many wonderful things to say about this fine woman.
One of the things he said that struck a chord deep within me was, "Sunday School teachers takes their position very seriously."
I found myself nodding in complete agreement.
I agreed because I currently teach a Sunday School class as well.
My pastor cited the following passage of Scripture at her service and it is a more than sobering reminder.
James 3:1 (NET) - Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.
Since that is the case, why would anyone do it?
Why would anyone risk being judged more strictly?
We do it because He called us to do it.
Romans 12:6-7 (NET) - And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve, if it is teaching, he must teach;
She answered her call for the same reason I answered mine.
We did so because, in the words of Paul, we "must".
We did so knowing that if God called us to do this, He would also equip us to do this.
God equipped her for this responsibility.
God also used her, and others like her, to help equip me for my responsibility.
He was at work doing this for me even though I did not realize it at the time.
When I was young, God blessed me in many ways.
He blessed me with excellent teachers.
He also blessed me with excellent role models.
A few special individuals, like her. were both.
Now, it’s my turn.
I admit that is a bit intimidating, because teachers like her have set the bar extremely high.
I also admit that since I became a Sunday School teacher, I have learned some things as well.
Teaching comes with responsibility.
Teaching comes with a lot of work.
Fortunately, teaching also comes with a tremendous amount of love.
That is not all.
It also comes with the satisfaction of knowing that God is using me as yet another link in the chain of teachers that He continues to weave.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
She was a woman of outstanding character who was actively involved in our church for decades.
She loved God and served Him faithfully for many years.
She taught Sunday School and for a number of those years she taught our confirmation class.
I consider myself blessed because I was but one of the many students that she mentored along the way and I certainly am the richer for it.
Our pastor had many wonderful things to say about this fine woman.
One of the things he said that struck a chord deep within me was, "Sunday School teachers takes their position very seriously."
I found myself nodding in complete agreement.
I agreed because I currently teach a Sunday School class as well.
My pastor cited the following passage of Scripture at her service and it is a more than sobering reminder.
James 3:1 (NET) - Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly.
Since that is the case, why would anyone do it?
Why would anyone risk being judged more strictly?
We do it because He called us to do it.
Romans 12:6-7 (NET) - And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve, if it is teaching, he must teach;
She answered her call for the same reason I answered mine.
We did so because, in the words of Paul, we "must".
We did so knowing that if God called us to do this, He would also equip us to do this.
God equipped her for this responsibility.
God also used her, and others like her, to help equip me for my responsibility.
He was at work doing this for me even though I did not realize it at the time.
When I was young, God blessed me in many ways.
He blessed me with excellent teachers.
He also blessed me with excellent role models.
A few special individuals, like her. were both.
Now, it’s my turn.
I admit that is a bit intimidating, because teachers like her have set the bar extremely high.
I also admit that since I became a Sunday School teacher, I have learned some things as well.
Teaching comes with responsibility.
Teaching comes with a lot of work.
Fortunately, teaching also comes with a tremendous amount of love.
That is not all.
It also comes with the satisfaction of knowing that God is using me as yet another link in the chain of teachers that He continues to weave.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
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