Teaching a hard message can be intimidating. Standing in front of a group of people and even just reading out loud a portion of Scripture that may not be received well may make the teacher want to sink into the floor and let the earth close over them.
I once taught out of Matthew on the subject of divorce to a group of single adults, some of whom have been divorced. I wondered, "Will they come back?" It's tempting to water down the message so that people won't feel uncomfortable and still like you.
Scripture has a message for teachers - speak boldly.
- Acts 4:31 - "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."
- Acts 9:28 - "So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord."
- Acts 14:3 - "So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders."
- Acts 19:8 - "Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God."
- Acts 28:31 - "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."
A bold message is not a watered down message. But it is also not unkind.
Colossians 3:12 - "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
A bold message should be tempered with kindness. It is not an opportunity "set people straight." That is not our job as teachers. As teachers, we're called to present truth with kindness and let the Holy Spirit do His work.
In my lesson on divorce to single adults, I did not avoid the truth that divorce is not to be taken lightly and clearly stated that marriage is a spiritual covenant and not merely a legal transaction. But, knowing that God meets us where we are, we then focused on how a single person should approach dating in order to have success in marriage in the future. The entire lesson hinged on seeing marriage through God's eyes. It was not an opportunity to spend 45 minutes condemning those that have been divorced, especially since I didn't know all of the particulars in each person's situation. Instead, it was an opportunity to lovingly present truth and encourage future actions based on that truth.
So speak kindly and boldly. And let the Holy Spirit do His work.
Now it's your turn - how can we temper boldness with kindness?
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