Thankfulness for Teachers

*Not my photo

For the final theme of November, we're going to look at... You guessed it, thankfulness. Some of this may be a slight departure from the intent of this site, but I hope you'll see that it fits in the greater context of life itself.

I know it seems a bit cliche, but thankfulness is not a cliche idea. In fact, if we're honest, it's a very difficult thing, especially when it comes to the Christian idea of thankfulness which isn't just thankful for the good things, but also for the trials and difficulties, knowing that God is at work in it all.

I want to start this week out by looking at a verse that hit me in my daily reading today.

"The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him." - Galatians 6:6

And while certainly I believe there is a materialistic side to this passage, I believe it's talking about sharing with our (spiritual) teachers how we've grown and what we've learned, etc. We can of course look at this in a very broad context; of course we ought to be thankful for all those who have taught us things of value over the years, whether school teachers, those who have taught us different skills, and the like. But specifically I believe we're talking about pastors, teachers, and those who God has placed in our lives to grow us spiritually.

We should be thankful for our spiritual leaders.

I'm not sure there is a direct passage saying to "be thankful for your leaders," but I would say the idea is implicit.

"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another." - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, emphasis added.

So to keep this short, simple, and practical, how can we live that out? Well I want to look at just a handful of verses in Scripture to give us some guidance on how we can practice thankfulness towards our spiritual leaders.

1. Imitate Them

"Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith." - Hebrews 13:7

We can show our thankfulness towards them by doing 3 things mentioned in this verse: Remember them, consider their conduct and its result, and imitate their faith.

So we don't learn something and then forget about those who taught it. But we also look at the pattern of their life and consider it. I think the simplest way to put it is that we take the good but don't follow any bad examples. No man is perfect. Martin Luther taught a lot of great things, so did John Calvin, but there are certainly issues in their lives that we can look to. Does it mean they weren't saved? No, and it doesn't mean that we throw out everything they ever taught. I guess another way to put it is to imitate them so far as they are imitating Christ (1 Cor. 11:1).

2. Submit to them

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." - Hebrews 13:17

Elders, pastors, teachers, all have a challenging job at times. It is important to remember that many of these have not only their teaching/pastoral roles, but also full time jobs, families, etc.

So we need to remember to extend them grace, as well as understand that they have been placed in that position by God.

I do not believe this authority extends beyond Scripture, mind you. If something is clearly sin and a teacher confronts you with it, and you disobey, that's one thing, and you would do well to heed them.

But if they have an opinion on something outside of Scripture, or that isn't Scripturally correct (be careful with that one, they very well probably know more than you) and tell you you must obey, then I do not believe you are under any requirement to do so. That's an important caveat.

That said, the heart of the verse is simple: Recognize and submit to the leadership of godly men in your life, and let them do their job with joy, for their sake as well as your own.

3. Support them

"The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages." - 1 Timothy 5:17-18

I know many people shy away from talking about money, and understandably so. There are way too many false teachers out there just trying to make a buck off of the gospel. Paul himself oftentimes refrained from taking money for his ministry, opting to instead work a job to pay his way. Money is a very touchy subject, and is a source of greed which is a snare and trap. So we should be extremely careful in discussing it in relation to ministry.

That said, ministers should be able to live off of their work in certain cases. Not that it should lead to an lavish lifestyle, but to meet their needs. I think it would be fair to ask yourself: Would I be able to do a full time job, full time ministry, and maintain a healthy family and life? If not, then don't be too quick to deny compensating those God has placed in charge spiritually over you.

I think it ties with the last point of letting them do their job with joy. A pastor scrounging for a dollar will have the potential to be tempted to worry about theirs and their families well being, and their work will potentially not be as productive for you.

I understand however that this is situational, and let Scripture be your guide on this. We shouldn't give begrudgingly (2 Cor. 9:7).

4. Pray for them

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you," - Philippians 1:3

Paul often mentions his continuous prayer for believers, and we should imitate that example by praying for other believers as well; this certainly includes our spiritual leaders.

We should pray for their well being, their families, their protection both from physical as well as spiritual harm, and their ministry. And we should pray, thanking God for them.

Closing thoughts

I understand some churches have bad leaders, and I want to very quickly touch on that. If they're false teachers (Scripture gives us some helpful reminders on how to recognize that), then you should leave the church.

But more often than not, difficulties arise not because they're charlatans, but because they're human, and they have varying levels of sanctification and theology. This article isn't meant as an exhaustive look into how we should deal with conflict with leaders in a church, for that I would point you to other resources such as Gotquestions.org or Fortis.org

But primarily I would ask you to consider what has been written, and sit down and talk with your leaders if there are concerns. Be a help to them not a hindrance. I know for myself I have been a hindrance far too often.

To close, I hope that these are helpful insights for you, but mostly that they help to remember to be thankful for the people God has placed in your life to help you in your Christian walk.