Time to Refresh: Time to Teach
We only have so many hours in a day. The minutes are ticking away. They move into hours and soon we have worked through a day concerned with work, family, chores, errands, and other various things that we call "life." As Christian teachers, have we taken time to refresh ourselves so that we are ready to teach God's Word at any given moment? If you are teaching, you are busy! Teaching God's Word takes (1) preparation; (2) instruction; and (3) evaluation (Pazmino 1998, 2002). All of this takes time to do well with teaching others. But we also need time to refresh ourselves in God's Word. Take time to be with God by doing the following:
Turn off your phone. This is a must. No distractions.
Take time to relax in His presence, soak Him into your spirit. I set the tone by lighting a candle, which reminds me that Christ is the light of my life, nothing else.
Make time to pray for yourself, not just for others, but for your own spiritual growth too!
Confess your own sin. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
Focus on God and His calling upon your life. "Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6).
Spend time reading scripture for personal spiritual growth, not only for teaching others. Journal your thoughts so that you can see your own progress.
Take time to refresh yourself with God, then you will produce quality time for teaching others. Remember that "we cannot teach the text until the text has taught us" (Morton 2012).
References:
Morton, Dawn. 2012. Teaching Ministry. Ashland, OH: Course taught at Ashland Theological Seminary.
Pazmino, Robert W. 1998, 2002. Basics of Teaching for Christians: Preparation, Instruction, and Evaluation.
Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock.
