The Wisdom of Teachers
It wasn’t until I had finished university that I started to see that teachers were only human too.
Reference: v.9 It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: I can remember every single one of my primary school teachers. It seems like a long time ago since I was under their tutelage however I remember them all by name and and what it was like to be in their class. I enjoyed school when I was young and worked hard to please my teachers. They were friendly and supportive and always seemed to have an answer to my questions. It wasn’t until I had finished university that I started to see that teachers were only human too. I was sitting around a table with some old school friends talking about life. One of my friends had done an education degree and was now teaching her very own class of Grade 1 students. I thought this was a wonderful profession as I remembered how much I had loved my grade 1 teacher. However as the conversation went on I heard how my friend had got drunk over the weekend and woke up the next morning not being able to remember how she had got home. I was not so shocked to hear this from my friend but I was taken aback when I realised that she was now a teacher, someone who was looked up to and admired and had the right answers. A teacher is someone who holds wisdom and yet my friend seemed to be making some really poor choices. Were my primary school teachers like that too?
Application: You can not judge someone’s wisdom by their age or their position. Spending a longer period of time on earth does not make you wise, just like spending a long time in a garage does not make you a car. Likewise, just because you are young and inexperienced does not mean you don’t have some wisdom. Everyone has something to offer and we can’t assume one is wise just because they have grey hair. The fourth of Job’s friends had kept quiet because he was the youngest but even he could see folly in the words of his mates. While he was polite and respectful he took the opportunity to speak up when he was able. We mustn’t hold back because of our age or our lack of position. While we must always be respectful of others we must also understand that God has created us with something to offer.
Prayer: Lord, sometimes I hold back because I am bashful and have too much pride to be wrong. Help me to speak my mind with respect but always be looking for opportunities to gain wisdom. Amen.
When have you held yourself back because of your age or your lack of position?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.