Nougat 21

So, having grasped the concepts, heard the expectation, and (hopefully) felt the call – now what?? Consider today’s Holy Nougat

“I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So we know that all our work and witness is for an audience of Three in One, and there’s no time like the present to be caught on the job for our Sovereign. We have been reminded that as we work, especially when encouraging, rebuking or correcting others, patience must be our hallmark.

(And even as we think ‘what next’, I was again struck by the call for preparation. In Ephesians 6; a similar idea is presented – with the Gospel of Peace being that which is prepared. Given the unpredictability of the times; it might be worthwhile to weave Peace into all our preparation for ministry. For Peace goes hand in hand with Patience, as does Self-Control. The entire Fruit of God’s Spirit, for that matter.)

Now I know that many of us have taught others before. And even if we haven’t; we have all been students. I pray that all you’ve experienced are great teachers; though I suspect that, like me, you’ve met some duds. So when you decided that someone was not a good teacher, were there particular traits that you noticed? I have faced folks who must have forgotten to read through before because they just had no classroom presence.

On the other hand, my favorite teachers had illustrations, were open to learning from others – while being au fait with the subject matter – did not mind ‘stupid questions’ because they saw validity in all questions, and encouraged students to go dig deeper. We are each called, by our Sovereign, to be good teachers. This is a very important calling for our Sovereigns, Who provided us with The Master Teacher, Jesus Christ.

And, as good subjects to our Sovereign, we happily seek to do likewise. We have been equipped with the tools, we have sat at His feet, now it’s time to share what we have learned with others – patiently. Can we do it? By God’s grace, we will.

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May all we seek be found in Christ