“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.” I Tim. 4.16

I’m headed back to Ghana at the end of this week for three weeks of ministry. As you might expect, my thoughts are mainly focused in that direction. I’m thinking not only of the preparations that need to be finished but also of the great privilege I have to teach God’s Word. One of my great joys in this work comes from being able to teach Scripture to eager hearers. I consider myself blessed that this is true in both Ghana and Chattanooga.
Teaching is indeed a privilege, but it carries with it great responsibility. The familiar warning from James comes to mind: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (3.1) Paul refers to this truth when he exhorts Timothy in his first letter to this young pastor. Paul wisely counsels Timothy (cited above) to look in two directions when considering his teaching. The first is to keep a watch on himself. This is a good word for all of us, whether we teach or not. Paul is not encouraging us to be selfabsorbed, since Scripture elsewhere tells us to “count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil. 2.3) Rather, each of us should be watchful of our own spiritual condition. Although God has appointed elders in the church to keep watch over the souls of the congregation (Heb. 13.17), if we are wise, we will also keep a close watch on ourselves: monitoring our “internal spiritual temperature.” Among other things, this requires us not to be ruled by our emotions, to be careful about what we feed our thought life, and to make sure we are being spiritually nourished through the wise and regular use of the means of grace.