The Teacher

So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.
Exodus 18:24



Everyone in your life is a teacher, not just those people in your school today standing in front of the room with the title of "teacher" and armed with chalk, eraser, and gradebook.



Everyone in your life is a teacher…



…if you're willing to learn.



Think about it.



Each person you know has a unique set of life experiences.



Each person in your neighborhood has a unique body of knowledge.



Each person you pass in the hallway at school or work or the mall or the grocery store or on the street has a distinctive perspective on the world.



Each person on the planet has a one-of-a-kind set of opinions and creative ideas.



Each person in this world brings something new and different to the table.



Think of it as God's gift to you. Wow! When you think of the billions of nameless faces in the world, that is a pretty awesome gift. But it is also overwhelming.



Think of it again this way – God has surrounded you with hundreds of potential teachers. Some younger than you. Some the same age as you. Some just a little bit older than you. God has given you the opportunity to pick their brains, to learn from their experiences and mistakes.


Think I am kidding?


Just ask any one who has attended a youth group, a "snow camp", or a mid-week small group. My bet is that each one learned something from maybe the staff at the camp, the speaker at their youth group, from a small group leader, and most importantly, from each other.



But, there is the famous "but."



But…in order to take advantage of God's gift of bringing teachers of all shapes and sizes into your life, you have got to swallow your pride and admit that you can learn things from even the most unlikely people. Like your elderly neighbor. Like your older sister or brother. Like the weird exchange student at school. Or your youth leaders. Or even, gulp, your parents.



Moses was the established leader of thousands of Israelites. People came to him for advice. Yet, when his father-in-law spoke, Moses listened. And because he listened, Moses was rewarded with some valuable advice – words of wisdom that ended up making him a better leader.



Learn from Moses' example. Treat every conversation, no matter how silly you might think it may be, as a learning opportunity. Make it your goal to come away with a little more knowledge and wisdom than you had before the conversation started. In my few years in youth ministry, I have never ever come away from any conversation with a student or fellow leader without gaining something useful, or some great insight.



Do yourself a favor – develop a curious spirit. Learn to ask the right question at the right time. Instead of always thinking about what you're going to say next, think of what you can learn by listening. Take advantage of the gift of teachers that God has given you.



Have a wonderful day today…and make it wonderful for someone else by loving others around you as Jesus loves you.