Seize the Moment – Day 321
Teachers Appreciation!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, February 1.
Who has influenced your life and way of thinking? Are you thankful and encouraging to your teachers?
James addressed a very important issue: being thankful and supportive of our teachers because they do an impossible task for us!
Listen to what he says in James 3:1-5,
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
Do you see it? Do you see how James is dealing with some specific issues in the local churches, not just our everyday use of our tongue, even though, of course, the principles apply, but the focus is on how there were people most likely wagging their tongues at the teachers of the local congregations. James, the overseer of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13-21), was telling them to get a handle on their critique and ridicule of the early church teachers because there was only one perfect teacher: Jesus.
James was calling them to submit themselves to their teachers and not disqualify them just because they were human and made mistakes. James is calling all of us to stop being a hostile demanding crowd and start being a peaceful appreciative congregation. None of us are perfect!
Seize the moment and be thankful and encouraging to your teachers.