James 3:1-2
Not many [of you] should become teachers (self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation].
For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature.
Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)
As a public school teacher who spent several years obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Education degree - and summers, nights and weekends adding my Master of Science in Education credentials - I will tell you that not all people who receive said degrees belong in the classroom. I supervised more than one student teacher who had satisfied all of the requisite requirements to get to the point of “practice teaching.” But this did not mean that he/she was qualified to actually teach small children. Good teachers possess innate qualities that cannot be gleaned from textbooks – many simply have what it takes to be good teachers. Others hone their abilities over time and continually improve as they gain on-the-job experience.
My assessment was based on the observed skills (or lack thereof), as student teachers interacted with the students. I didn’t even consider their personal life or how they might conduct themselves outside the classroom… although this does matter! I don’t want the teachers who are charged with the care and education of our children to be engaged in illicit or illegal behaviors. And sadly, all we have to do to learn about people who have no business being teachers is to pay attention to current news reports.
There are many stations in life where we find that we are called to a higher standard of behavior (or we should be)… as parents, Sunday school teachers and leaders in the church or community, mentors, and yes – writers of daily devotionals! This does not mean we are to place ourselves on a pedestal and lord it over others… but that we must seriously consider the significance of what we say and do. We must always be aware that people are watching and listening… and they are checking to see if our words and actions align.
In this regard, we Christians are all “teachers.” Just because you don’t lead a Sunday school class each week or fill another sort of leadership role does not mean that you are immune to these standards. As a Disciple of Christ, you are very much a “teacher” of sorts. We must stay awake, alert, and on guard that our behavior and our attitudes reflect those of the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ. At the same time, we must be very careful not to place our own witness above that of someone else. We must not think more highly of ourselves… or condescend to others who are sharing their witness.
I will be the first to tell you that I don’t always agree with others’ interpretation of what it means to be a Christian. Based on my own prayer and Bible study, there are times when I vehemently disagree with another person’s “take” on things and/or interpretation of scripture. But I try to be very careful in offering a dissenting opinion. Our goal must never be to shame or insult the other person… but rather to lovingly offer our viewpoint… to say, “This is what God has shown me… perhaps this is another way to consider what you are saying,” rather than, “That is NOT what the Bible says… you are so very wrong!”
I don’t know about you, but I have been “called out” for what I have shared from time to time by those who disagree. I have been “reproved” and judged… and I have tried to examine these criticisms and make doubly sure they had no validity… or to make adjustments if I find that I am mistaken. We won’t always get it right. As James points out, to do so would make us perfect…and we all know that this ain’t happenin’! But we can strive to get closer to the mark… to be gentle, accepting, and humble… and to prayerfully and carefully share the love of Jesus Christ with others through our words and actions.
Just as teaching degrees and credentials do not make one a capable, competent teacher… claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make us a Disciple of Christ, either. What about you? What are your credentials? Does your daily living match up with what you speak and demonstrate to others? Don’t you think it should?
©2012 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label condescenscion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label condescenscion. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for August 29, 2012
James 2:1-4
My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won’t treat some people better than others. Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. That is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you heard the urban legend (check http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/obnoxious.asp) about the person who was on a flight and threw a fit because he/she was seated next to a person who was black/Muslim/insert-your-own-racial-or-ethnic-profile-here? The legend goes that the person complaining asked, “Do I have to sit next to this person?” The flight attendant replied, “You certainly do not,” then turned to the other passenger and said, “If you will kindly gather your things, we have a seat in First Class waiting for you.”
This probably never really happened… but it’s a great story… and a variation of something that most likely does happen a dozen times or more every day in any corner of the world. We humans are snobs… about wealth and money, race, religion, personal lifestyle choices, and more. We stare, we discriminate…we are rude and unkind. We listen to the devil when he tells us, “You are better than that person for XYZ reason(s).”
In truth, God loves ALL of us… equally! We don’t like to think about this, because then we have to admit that God loved madmen like Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Osama bin Laden. We have to concede that God doesn’t love Republicans more than Democrats, blacks more than whites, or heterosexuals more than gay people. And we just do not want to go there… but we must!
The next time your inclination is to think better of yourself than the other guy – for any reason – stop and remind yourself of this scripture passage. Truly examine your faith and ask yourself how genuine your relationship with God really is. Because if you have faithfully committed yourself to Him and are “all in” a relationship with your Heavenly Father… if you honestly believe that Jesus died for your sins and those of anyone else who calls on Him to do so… if you really believe that we are all God’s creatures – His children who He loves equally… you cannot for one minute look down your nose at someone else.
Nobody ever said being a Christian was easy. Nobody ever fully prepared us for how strong the devil’s temptations would be… and a sense of arrogance and condescension are two of his favorite tools. He wants us to develop a viewpoint of superiority as Christians… because he knows this completely negates our witness and the very message of Jesus Christ. Don’t let him have that satisfaction!
Remember WHOSE you are... and that God loves all of us unconditionally. Approach others with Godly love in your heart… see them through His eyes… and operate in humility and obedience to His word. Lead by example. Let others see how well you treat all of God’s children. Let them be inspired to do the same because of your witness. You may occasionally miss the mark… but you’ll improve over time. Don’t you owe it to God to give this a try?
©2012 Debbie Robus
My friends, if you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, you won’t treat some people better than others. Suppose a rich person wearing fancy clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. You must not give the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor to stand at the side or sit on the floor. That is the same as saying that some people are better than others, and you would be acting like a crooked judge.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you heard the urban legend (check http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/obnoxious.asp) about the person who was on a flight and threw a fit because he/she was seated next to a person who was black/Muslim/insert-your-own-racial-or-ethnic-profile-here? The legend goes that the person complaining asked, “Do I have to sit next to this person?” The flight attendant replied, “You certainly do not,” then turned to the other passenger and said, “If you will kindly gather your things, we have a seat in First Class waiting for you.”
This probably never really happened… but it’s a great story… and a variation of something that most likely does happen a dozen times or more every day in any corner of the world. We humans are snobs… about wealth and money, race, religion, personal lifestyle choices, and more. We stare, we discriminate…we are rude and unkind. We listen to the devil when he tells us, “You are better than that person for XYZ reason(s).”
In truth, God loves ALL of us… equally! We don’t like to think about this, because then we have to admit that God loved madmen like Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Osama bin Laden. We have to concede that God doesn’t love Republicans more than Democrats, blacks more than whites, or heterosexuals more than gay people. And we just do not want to go there… but we must!
The next time your inclination is to think better of yourself than the other guy – for any reason – stop and remind yourself of this scripture passage. Truly examine your faith and ask yourself how genuine your relationship with God really is. Because if you have faithfully committed yourself to Him and are “all in” a relationship with your Heavenly Father… if you honestly believe that Jesus died for your sins and those of anyone else who calls on Him to do so… if you really believe that we are all God’s creatures – His children who He loves equally… you cannot for one minute look down your nose at someone else.
Nobody ever said being a Christian was easy. Nobody ever fully prepared us for how strong the devil’s temptations would be… and a sense of arrogance and condescension are two of his favorite tools. He wants us to develop a viewpoint of superiority as Christians… because he knows this completely negates our witness and the very message of Jesus Christ. Don’t let him have that satisfaction!
Remember WHOSE you are... and that God loves all of us unconditionally. Approach others with Godly love in your heart… see them through His eyes… and operate in humility and obedience to His word. Lead by example. Let others see how well you treat all of God’s children. Let them be inspired to do the same because of your witness. You may occasionally miss the mark… but you’ll improve over time. Don’t you owe it to God to give this a try?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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