Show and Tell
Sunday’s Monday
Show and Tell
God has shown me things over the past several months that have prompted me to rethink something my children did in grade school called show and tell. Which was a simple tool used by the teacher to improve their knowledge of something through showing to the class and explaining what it was and what it did! This technique has been used for thousands of years in the form of apprenticeships, which is defined in dictionary.com as, to bind to or place with an employer, master craftsman, or the like, for instruction in a trade. Today it is more commonly known as OJT or on the job training. A learn as you go system, which applies the dreaded double edge scenario of becoming a master at something, only to become a lifelong student of whatever that is. Romans 2:21 (ESV), you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
During my career as an industrial department manager, I had to attend one of those weeklong seminars on team management, which I found filled with conflicting information. There was one statement which branded itself into my mind and some 20 years later it is still there. There was a secession on “you don’t have to know how to do a job to teach someone straight of the street how to do the job efficiently and correctly in a matter of weeks.” My first though was, “the blind can’t lead the blind through the woods, without dire consequences.” The team scenario must start with an experienced leader to tell others what has to be done and show them how to do it. No one effectively starts at the top! Not even Jesus! John 5:19-20 (ESV), 19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. Jesus constantly and consistently sought the knowledge and wisdom of God for the restoration of a relationship between man with God.
Jesus lead a perfect life of show and tell, as He went about practicing what He preached. He came into this world, to give us a glimpse of the eternal greatness of God, the creator of everything. We learned or can learn that God isn’t about love because God is love! John 3:16-17 (ESV), 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. God sent prophets to tell of His love and later sent Jesus to show His love, for all that He created. Jesus said in God’s inspired word, John 8:28 (ESV), So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
Seeking no accolades or self-satisfaction Jesus sought only to show the love of His father and tell all who would listen about the grace and goodness of God. Jesus was the epidemy of show and tell! Which brings me to the thought of what are people telling about what I am showing? Am I practicing what I’m preaching? Here is where we get into learning or apprenticeship if you will. I can’t do what I don’t know how and equally as important, I don’t know, what I don’t know! Ergo, our show and tell will be filled with ignorance and errors, as is explained in Proverbs 19:2 (ESV), Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. However, should we grasp the truth that God has for us, we will deeply desire to live and speak from God’s fruit of His spirit. We find in Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV), 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Read these verses again, and ask yourself, what would this world be like if everyone live (show) and spoke (tell) from each of these gifts? Remembering this world changes at the speed of one person at a time and my world has to start with me!!
My prayer for the week comes from two different passages, the first passage speaks to the steadfastness of a pure heart which is found in 1 Timothy 1:5-7 (ESV), 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. And I pray this second passage will help us in our relationships with believers, sliders and the hard hearted, which is found in Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV), 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Amen
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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