Good Teacher
“Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.”
- 2 Kings 12:2
On this first week of school, one of the most exciting and important moments for students is discovering who their teacher(s) will be. I know that my daughter cannot wait to find out who she has for her 5th grade/final year of elementary school. A good teacher can make all the difference in a child’s school experience. To have someone who is patient, understanding, kind, and able to tap into each student’s unique personality and learning style is a gift.
The scripture above provides us a teaching moment to the importance of receiving good instruction from trusted people. Joash becomes king of Judah at seven years old and will reign for forty years. He is mentioned as one of the kings who does right, staying true to God. A key ingredient to his walking in integrity, purity, and humility is based on following the instruction from Jehoiada the priest. This example reinforces the eternal truth that submission to spiritual leaders in our lives is profitable and fruitful. Proverbs 15:22 tells us, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” What makes this story remarkable is that as Joash grows up (turning eighteen, twenty-one, getting married), it would have been easy for him to dismiss or reject the priest’s instruction. He could have tried to do things on how own or find new voices to speak into his life. Yet, he keeps receiving from a good source!
Receiving instruction can be difficult for us. In addition to our pride and ego getting in the way, most of us have experienced the damaging effects of bad leaders and ungodly instruction. Unhealthy authority can rear its ugly head anywhere: in the home, at school, on the job and even in the church. A person can have a job they are good at, get paid well in, with great coworkers, but if their supervisor/boss demonstrates poor leadership, that workplace can be unbearable.
The Lord, by the Holy Spirit wants to heal us from those poor examples and remind us to pursue godly women and men who will impart wisdom, truth, and encouragement to us.Ephesians 5:21 tells us to, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”Our faith is not meant to be lived on an island, but in community.And that community is there to help us into who God is shaping us to become.There are people out there who do have your best interest in mind, who do hear from God, who will speak things that align with God’s Word, and that will help you through the different circumstances you face, decisions you must make, and seasons you are in. Proverbs 15:31 says, “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.”It is time to stop resisting instruction and receive the good that others will speak into you!