I was looking at a list of geography trivia questions recently and was embarrassed to realize just how few answers I knew. The capital of Somalia, the main river of Australia, the sea between the Scandinavian Peninsula and the British Isles—all of these once well-known facts had slipped right out of my mind! I am sure there were many things on which I could have blamed my poor memory, but I knew the real reason. It had been many years since I had taught Geography; thus, many years since I had studied it. Without the constant repetition that teaching a subject requires, I had forgotten material that had once seemed ingrained in my brain.
Sadly, the same thing can happen with the Scriptures. Hebrews 5:12-14 tells us, For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. This passage reminds us that if we are to be mature Christians, we must be teaching others. Teaching requires the studying of God’s Word; therefore, without both of these, it is easy to revert to spiritual infanthood.
I ask you today: Who are you teaching right now? Are you teaching your own children, a new convert, a Sunday school class, or a younger Christian?
While there are many benefits of teaching, including keeping Scripture fresh in our minds, here are a few to remind us why it is so important to keep teaching:
Teaching applies pressure.
It is much harder to skip church when we know a new convert is depending on us to save them a seat. It is much harder to skip our Bible memorization if we know our children are waiting on us to review with them. It is much harder to backslide if we know our entire Sunday school class will see it. We all need pressure in our spiritual lives to force us to grow.
Teaching enables others to learn.
Think of the Ethiopian eunuch stating, …How can I, except some man should guide me?… God has placed people in our lives who will not reach their spiritual potential unless we fulfill our responsibility to guide them.
Teaching keeps us humble.
During my time as a teacher, I cannot count the number of typos that I caught while in the middle of giving notes, the times I mispronounced a common word, or the instances in which I made some other public, humiliating mistake. One cannot be a teacher for long without learning humility. The same is true for spiritual teaching: the Holy Spirit shows all our own flaws, mistakes, and shortcomings.
Teaching makes us appreciate the Bible more.
It amazes me how much more I pay attention to the Scripture when I am reading to find something to share with someone else. The promises and principles come alive, and I am awash with thankfulness at how God has worked them out in my life. The story of David and Goliath never seems so real as when I see the widened eyes of my young son as he hears the story for the first time.
Does your Bible reading seem stale to you? Is your Bible memorization rusty? Have you become stagnant in your Christian life? If it is, then you, my friend, may need to start teaching again.
by Abigail Medford