James 3:1-2 — Spidey-senses

READ THIS: James 3:1-2

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
 
WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?
 
Welcome to chapter 3! Over the next few days, we are going to learn A LOT about the words we speak!
 
I'm a big Spiderman fan... and if you know anything about him, this quote will likely sound familiar: "With great power comes great responsibility." But what does that even mean??? When we are given opportunities to have power over others, we must be careful with how we use that power, because real leaders are responsible to care and to love those they lead. James says that teachers are often judged harder than others because they lead!
 
So what does a good leader or teacher do? James says there are 2 things (in verse 2!): they recognize that we all stumble, and they watch what they say. Responsible teachers are people who know they aren't perfect, but they still work hard to lead through every word they teach. We all lead and teach others around us, whether it's at home, through school work, or in places you haven't even thought about. You may be the only Christian someone knows, so tap into your spiritual "Spidey-senses" this week and try to use that power responsibly!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Who is someone that you think leads and teaches others well? What makes them such a good leader?
 
2. A lot of people think leaders are just people who tell others what to do, but Jesus showed that good leaders love sacrificially, putting the needs of others above their own desires! What's one way you can lead in a sacrificial way?

 
TRY THIS:

If you remember James 1:19, we are supposed to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. How's that been going? Write each of those 3 things down, and write down one way you can keep getting better at each one!

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 28, 2023 at 7:36 AM

    Slow to speak - let everyone else voice their opinion and then voice yours

    Slow to become angry - stay calm and collected and think about what you say before you say it

    Quick to listen - don’t think about what your going to say next while the other person is talking

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 28, 2023 at 8:09 AM

    When you are slow to speak, that usually means you are listening, and listening is when you learn.

    Slow to anger gives you time to think about the person, not just their words, and helps to keep an even temper.

    When you take time to think about your answer and not react to their words, you will answer in a less antagonistic way.

    ReplyDelete

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