graphic by meneldur
“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.”
Every college undergrad has either heard or said this at least once. Sadly, this statement gives teachers a bad name. The truth is that those who “can” are better teachers and those who “can’t” are ineffective teachers.
After my father-in-law retired from a long career in mechanical engineering, he joined the University of Kansas engineering faculty as an adjunct lecturer. He loved teaching soon-to-be engineers and they loved having him as their instructor because he brought practical insights into the classroom. He spoke from experience. He knew what really worked and what sounded good in theory but didn’t work practically. He could tell them how things were in the real world and how they could use the knowledge they were learning in their future jobs. His ability to “do” gave him credibility with his students and prepared them well for their future.
The same is true for parents and children’s ministry leaders.
- It’s one thing to tell your kids about God and to teach them facts about the Bible. It’s an entirely different thing to teach them the practical stuff about the life of faith: how to pray, how to trust God no matter what, how to make wise choices and how to live a morally upright life.
- It’s one thing to tell kids to be patient; it’s an entirely different thing to live a life of patience in front of them so they learn to be patient by following your lead.
- It’s one thing to proclaim, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
- It’s an entirely different thing to monitor your own words so you don’t say negative things about others.
- It’s one thing to tell your kids they need to trust God when their lives seem uncertain; it’s an entirely different thing to model for them that you trust God even when your life is uncertain.
The only way we have any hope of teaching children how to live a life of faith in Christ is to teach by doing.
This month’s Parent’s Link Live is about the importance of knowing God personally instead of just knowing about God. It’s about taking time to connect with God on a personal level before you try to teach kids about God. I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to this short talk. Then, commit to being the best teacher you can be to the kids God’s given you. Your kids, whether they live in your home or are in your small group or class at church, will thank you!
To listen to Make it Personal, click here. You can either download it as an MP3 file or listen online.
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