Inspired to Teach
Faculty Devotion
Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. Exodus 35: 30-34a, ESV
These verses refer to the building of the temple. God has assembled the skills needed to accomplish the work set before the children of Israel. Seemingly out of nowhere came architects, stone masons, carvers and metalsmiths. When the skills were required, God provided.
Many of the skills listed in theses verses: intelligence, knowledge, and creativity are as essential for good teaching as they are for temple building. Furthermore, we are also building the church. Instead of carving wood or stone, we shape behaviors with the tools of the Law and Gospel. Instead of drawing up architectural plans, we help students to realize God’s plan for their lives and service. The work of the teacher is most certainly a skilled craft. Luther declares teachers to be the fine jewels working to preserve the church. (Works of Martin Luther by C.M. Jacobs.)When our churches and schools need such skilled artisans, God provides.
The verses from Exodus give us a clue about how God provides the workers for His field. In the NIV translation we are told that Bezalel and Oholiab were given the ability to teach. Yet notice the word used in the ESV: inspired to teach.
God provides us with universities that do an excellent job of training young people for ministry professions. Additionally, He brings us workers via less traditional means. Each worker has been carefully prepared for work and each worker is provided opportunities to continue that learning. One can never be over-educated for church work!
The words “inspired to teach” put a different spin on the idea of church worker preparation. Training is just a part of the overall picture. How can workers be trained if they are not first inspired? And while we are at it, how does the Spirit inspire students to think about church work?
Certainly, parents and other family members have many opportunities to be inspiration. Parents pass on their love of teaching and model this skill in their everyday actions. Other family members can do the same.
Sometimes university students are led to teaching or other church work professions by their instructors, fellow students, and experiences. In fact, a university environment can be a great place to explore interests and find your calling.
Another important group of people with the opportunity to inspire others to teach are the ones participating in this devotion: teachers. Teachers model, encourage, and provide opportunities to practice important church work skills. Teachers are an important source of inspiration.
Without adding more work to your already busy schedule, there are practical ways that you can be an inspiration to a future church worker in your class.
You can inspire others to teach by being a good teacher. While it is great to stay at the top of your field, good teaching that inspires is often more about balancing high expectations with earnest responsiveness than it is about innovative pedagogy. Be there for your students. Push them to do more and be willing to help them achieve. As John T. Pless says in his essay on vocation from The Pedagogy of Faith, (CPH, 2016) “God is at work in our work.”
You can inspire others to teach by giving your students opportunities to teach each other. When you use small group work or cooperative learning techniques take time to identify those students who facilitated learning. It might not be the student with all the right answers. It might be someone making sure everyone was learning.
Of course, we can also inspire others to teach by encouraging individual students to consider a church work profession. Teachers see students in potential church work situations (teaching, serving, witnessing) every day and have ample opportunity to inspire a vocational choice. Keep in mind that skills that make for an easy student to teach are not the only skills that make for good teachers, DCEs, pastors and missionaries. I remember speaking with parents about their rather rambunctious, highly distractible son. They seemed a bit surprised to hear me predict he was headed for church work because he was a fountain of endless energy. These parents recently saw their son ordained.
You can inspire others to teach by being inspired to teach. Show your students how much you love your work – even the challenges. Remind yourself, and your class, every day that you teach and learn through the Spirit of God.
Discussion:
- What skills do you see in your students that might be early indicators of future church workers?
- Did a church worker inspire you to become a teacher?
- What opportunities does your school give its students to teach, serve, and witness?
