Does Your Teaching Matter?

I left home and went to college when I was 18 years old. I just did a rough calculation and determined that in the years before I left, my mom prepared approximately 17,000 meals for me. 17,000. That’s a lot, but I’ll be honest. I don’t remember many of them. 

I do recall eating countless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that she made and sent to school with me. She would typically cut off the crust because I didn’t like the crust. 

And I recall quite a few French Toast breakfasts with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. I enjoyed those!

And of course there were the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals around the dining room table with family, turkey, mashed potatoes, and noodles. She would add yellow food coloring to the noodles to makes them look richer. I’m sure the food coloring didn’t enhance the flavor, but I still do the same. 

17,000 meals she prepared for me. 17,000 meals I consumed. 17,000 meals, most of which I forgot. 17,000 times I sat and ate and then left the table to do other things, probably without saying thank you. 17,000 times I ate simply because my mom showed up and prepared a meal. 

I would not have made it, you know, without those forgotten meals. They sustained me while I played, learned, slept, and simply did life as a child. 

How many spiritual “meals” have you prepared as a Bible teacher? Last Sunday I served 43 “meals” to those attending the class I teach. I can’t claim to be the best spiritual “cook,” but I fed them. They were spiritually nourished.

If you teach a class of 10 and teach 40 times a year, that’s 400 meals in a year. That’s 4,000 meals in 10 years. Many of you will do a good deal more than that. That’s a lot of meals. That’s a lot of spiritual nourishment.

Does it matter? Does it matter that you prepare and serve these meals week after week? 

It does. God’s Word is powerful and when you teach it, it makes a difference. It feeds the soul. It nourishes the spirit. It sustains real life!

People may not remember the meals. People may not say thank you. You may not feel like it makes a difference, but the meals you prepare help sustain those you serve. They need them. They need you to show up. 

The work you do in teaching the Bible matters. It’s important. Keep doing it!

Rick Edwards