You Were Born to Teach!
What special qualifications will you need to teach God's way
of life during the Millennium?
It's coming, and nothing can stop it!
God's Kingdom the government of God administered by the Family of God
— is about to be set up on earth, at the return of Jesus
Christ.
Those who, throughout the ages, faithfully served God will be
resurrected to immortal life, God's chosen servants of our time who
have faithfully endured will be instantly changed into spirit-composed
children of God (I Cor. 15:51-52).
And what will we be doing in God's Kingdom? Revelation 5:10 tells us
that we will become "kings and priests to our God: and we shall reign
on the earth."
Each of us will fulfill both the offices of king and priest. As kings
we will, under Christ the King of kings, rule the world, enforcing
God's law. And, just as ancient Israel's priests were to teach the
nation God's way, we will as priests be responsible for teaching the
knowledge of God's way of life to the entire world.
You were born to teach!
Disseminating God's Knowledge
God's government will be restored to the earth. Satan will be removed
(Rev. 20:1-2). Man's carnal nature will be changed (Jer. 31:33). The
give way will permeate life rather than the get way.
Notice Isaiah 2:3: "Many people shall come and say, Come, and
let us go up to the mountain of the lord, to the house of the God of
Jacob. He will teach us of His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.
For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the lord from
Jerusalem."
As more and more people learn of and turn to God's way, "the earth will
be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the lord, as the waters
cover the sea" (Hab. 2.14).
We will be responsible, as leaders, for filling the earth with the
knowledge of God's way.
Exactly what qualities will we need to be able to teach God's way in
the world tomorrow? Whatever those qualities are, we need to be
developing them now.
And we can. We are constantly exposed to teaching opportunities with
our mates, with our children, with our employees or fellow workers,
with friends, with other people in the world.
Here, then, are some of the most important qualities of good teachers,
qualities we need to be practicing now in preparation for our
responsibility of teaching the world during the Millennium.
Good teachers....
- Know their
subjects. Unless you're an expert in the field,
you wouldn't try to lecture on organic-chemistry to a group of chemists
You'd look like a fool! By the same token, you can't teach God's way to
someone unless you're an expert on the subject. During the Millennium,
the subjects we'll be teaching will include God's law. God's way of
thinking, giving and Bible knowledge.
We'll need to know these subjects thoroughly
(I Pet. 3:15).
That's why Paul admonishes, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that need eth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth" (II Tim. 2:15, AV).
And a good teacher is always expanding his knowledge, learning more,
keeping up with new developments in his field, in order to improve and
maintain the effectiveness of his teaching. So Peter tells us to grow
in grace and knowledge (II Pet. 3:18).
We can do so by constantly studying the Bible, reading the Work's
publications, listening closely to Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong
and God's ulher ministers and keeping up with news from headquarters,
especially concerning new Bible understanding. which God is constantly
giving.
- Set good
examples.
Probably the strongest method of teaching is by
example. Your children. employees and others will remember what you do
long after they forget exactly what you say.
God tells us to be lights to the world (Matt. 5:14-16). IT you want to
teach God's way most effectively, you must live it. In Gods Kingdom we
will live God's way perfectly.
Ancient Israel's obedience to God was to extend to every area of their
lives (Dcut. 6:6-7). It is the same today with us, as we train to teach
in the world tomorrow. The example we set of obedience to God must be
constant, not just at Sabbath services or when we are with other Church
members.
Anything else is hypocrisy, and God will not have on His teaching team
any who do not set the right example of living His way all the time
(Rom. 2:21-23).
- Use authority
properly. The most effective teachers are dedicated
foremost to helping their students learn, improve, prosper and enjoy
happiness. They are not cruel, vain or vindictive. They do not relish
having to rebuke.
Think about how this point applies in your relationship with your
children, friends or others you have the opportunity to teach now.
Think about how it will apply in the world tomorrow.
You will have power over the nations — you will rule with a
rod of iron ('Rev. 2:26-27). When you, as God, are able to exercise the
power of a thousand hydrogen bombs at just a thought, you must control
that power properly, in love, meekness, self-control, fear of God the
Father and a single-minded desire to help and never hurt the humans
under your authority.
And you will — but only if you develop these character traits
by practicing them in the areas where you have responsibility now. As
Paul said, ''Every man that striveth for the mastery [you are striving
to become a master teacher in the subject of God's way] is temperate in
all things" (I Cor. 9:25, AV).
Good teachers are models of balance, self-control and moderation.
- Communicate
well. A major part of effective
teaching is simply being able to communicate
well the concepts you are trying to get across.
This means that you speak in terms the one you are teaching will
understand. You don't instruct a 4 year old in how to put his shoes
away by speaking in
algebraic symbols. You don't give a fellow employee an assignment by
speaking in a language foreign to him. This, by extension, means that
you are willing to explain again and again from different angles, as
long as the person is sincerely trying to understand.
This also means that, while you talk to the person, you do not talk
down to him. You communicate in humility and warmth, putting yourself
in the person's place and trying to understand his point of view. Jesus
Christ, after all, can empathize with us in our trials because He
literally put Himself in our place and knows what we go through (Heb,
2:18).
Practice communicating better with everyone you talk to. Make yourself
clear Be direct, the way children are (Luke 18:15-17). Strive to give
full understanding. That's what you'll be doing in the
world tomorrow giving humanity full
understanding of God's — your — way of life.
- Show outgoing
concern. As one of God's teachers, you will express the
give way of life perfectly. You'll be dedicated to helping, serving,
caring for and providing opportunities for humanity. You'll perfectly
display the fruits of God's Holy Spirit.
But you must be developing those fruits now. In every
teaching situation, practice them.
Review I Corinthians 13, which deals with godly love. Make God's
patience, kindness. faithfulness and unselfishness traits of your own
character. Learn to be merciful (Luke 6:36). Be compassionate.
When you are put in a position where you can really, finally help
humanity — war-ravaged. poverty-stricken, trauma-ridden
humanity the humanity that for 6,000 years has been completely
unaware of the right way to live the humanity that has suffered the
worst horrors in history during the Great Tribulation and Day
of the Lord the humanity that has no notion of what true
charity, compassion and concern are — you will need to
express God's perfect, healing, comforting, positive love —
your love — with every ounce of your godly power.
A new order imminent
This world is without knowledge of God's way. The world has turned its
back on God and steeped itself in a way of life that, if God didn't
intervene, would destroy humanity.
But God is going to intervene. and soon. When He does. He is going to
offer mankind a completely different kind of knowledge - knowledge of
how to live happily all the time, of how to be saved, of how to be born
as God's children and live perfectly forever in God's very Family.
That knowledge will permeate every corner of life (Hab. 2:14).
You have been called to have a part in giving humanity this invaluable
knowledge, as one of the teachers and rulers in the world tomorrow.
What an incredible opportunity! What a goal to strive for! What could
be more important than to truly begin to quality for God's Kingdom
right now!
by Norman L. Shoaf Good News September Issue 1983
