Good Teachers

I have lately been reading the book "The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert" by Rosario Butterfield.  It is a story of her life as she went from a place of unbelief in Jesus Christ and His saving grace to a place of belief.  Her story is an important one to consider because she was a lesbian activist and through the work of the Holy Spirit and the willingness of a 70 year old pastor couple to reach out to her, she became a believer in Jesus Christ as her personal savior.  Over the next few days I will be pulling some quotes from her book that I have found important and useful for living in the culture that we are in. This following quote resonated with me as a teacher and communicator.

 

"Good teachers make it possible for people to change their positions without shame."

 

 

She was talking about Ken who was the pastor who reached out to her.  He talked to her and formed a relationship with her that allowed her to question her own firmly entrenched beliefs without condemning her.  As I prepare for leading my church through the steps of making church membership a real and vital part of our lives, I need to remember that just swinging the two by four of truth without the gentleness of grace, may work with some but will also cause others to outright reject what I am saying.  So the question that I am asking myself today is, how can I communicate in a way that allows people to really look at their lives and question how they are living without them getting their backs up and just rejecting everything that I have to say.

 

I think the word is challenge.  How can I challenge them to see things differently?  When I am challenged, what does that begin with?

 

Scripture challenges.....

Real-ness challenges....

Vision challenges.....

Authenticity challenges....

 

Therefore I am committed to honestly communicate the truth of scripture in a way that shows people what their lives could be like when they fully submit to God in every facet of their lives.