Yesterday, we thought about why we should teach others about God. Today, let’s look at how we can be good teachers. Teaching is a gift of the Holy Spirit (take a look at Romans 12:6-7), and not all of us will naturally have it. So one thing we can do is ask God to give us that gift. We often think that teaching God’s Word involves reading a Bible verse and then unpicking it and explaining what it means. While that’s an important part, there are other ways to teach people. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 says: ‘Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone’ (NLT). Teaching others can simply involve encouraging them when they’re struggling, helping them to understand when they’ve gone wrong, and generally setting a good example to them through our own words and behaviour. Another important thing to bear in mind is that it’s okay to not have all the answers. If someone asks us a question that we don’t know the answer to, we need to be honest and not try to talk our way out of it. It’s fine to say something like, ‘I don’t know; let’s see if we can find an answer together.’ By acknowledging that we don’t know everything, we give others the space and confidence to ask questions too. It’s also great to share our enthusiasm and love for God’s Word. John Wesley said, ‘When your heart is on fire, people love to watch it burn.’ Maybe you’re not a confident speaker or the best teacher, but if your heart is full of passion for God, people will listen to what you have to say and respond to your authenticity.

What Now?

Set up a Bible study night with your friends. Choose a chapter of the Bible in advance so you all have time to read and research it, and then ask everyone to share what they’ve learned, what stood out to them, and any questions the passage has raised for them.