The above passage does not excuse ninety percent of you from the call to teach. Each of you is called to teach and spread God's Word, giving to others the treasure you have received (Mt 10:8). Perhaps 250,000 people read One Bread, One Body daily. There are well over six billion people on earth. You OBOB readers are "not many" compared to six billion (Jas 3:1).
Not many of us may be called to a formal teaching ministry, but we are certainly called to teach informally in our daily lives. All parents are called to teach their children about the Lord. God has put some people in your life for whom you will be their only teacher in the faith. So look expectantly for those teachable moments when they are ready to hear about the Lord (Eph 5:16).
We are not so much a teacher as we are a "Teacher's aide." Only the Lord is the Teacher (Mt 23:10). We are His mouthpieces. The Holy Spirit will teach us "what to say and how to speak" (Jn 12:49). We will be called to the stricter account (Jas 3:1). Since we have been given much, that is, the incomparable privilege of teaching people about almighty God, much will be required of us (Lk 12:48). We must not grow lazy (Heb 6:12), for He Whom we serve is the eternal God (Rm 12:11).
Teacher's aides, show up for work every day. Listen daily to the Teacher, and then fill the world with your teaching (Acts 5:28).
| PRAYER: | Jesus, may I never stop teaching about You (Acts 5:42). |
| PROMISE: | "If a person is without fault in speech he is a man in the fullest sense, because he can control his entire body." –Jas 3:2 |
| PRAISE: | John not only takes his teaching seriously, he prays for his students as well. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College