His name was Val, and he was a plain-spoken, straight-shooting Texan. His head was shaved bald, and he wore cowboy boots. That brave man studied the book of Hosea with a bunch of middle school kids.
I loved his class. He’d sit down sturdily, open his worn Bible and begin to speak in his Texas drawl. He broke the bread of life to us. He talked of his faith in real, practical terms and we would read the text and talk about what it meant.
He showed us not his talent nor his qualifications but rather helped us see the Lord more clearly. And he stuck it out with us unruly hormonal teenagers, week after week.
To present the message of God is a great privilege. We should do our best to present ourselves to God, “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). We should be granting to God our very best, not our leftovers or halfhearted efforts. If we have talent, we have the responsibility to develop ourselves, to hone our skills, to use our talents for his glory. But we must also remember.
The very best preaching and teaching does not showcase the speaker. It reveals the heart of Christ. John the Baptist said it like this:
He must increase, but I must decrease. ~ John 3:30
All who teach – in the comfort of our homes, in little children’s classrooms, to teens in the youth room, to congregations – have the weight of this on our shoulders.
Have I magnified the Lord?
Photo by Colton Jones on Unsplash
Wattsup With Kids 