My spiritual father shared a remark that one of his friends made about him sometime ago. After watching and listening to him for a while, the friend said this; “All that we tried to teach on faith are the very things that this man of God is living out. We teach faith, but he lives it practically.” That remark taught me something about doing before teaching.
Friend, the order of scriptures is doing before teaching (Acts 1:1). A lot of people want to teach and share powerful revelations. They want to be global voices. While these are not bad in themselves, especially when they come out of a pure motive, they are simply secondary matters. They are not to be pursued (James 3:1).
Before God would make you a speaker, He would first make you a hearer (Isaiah 50:4-5). God wants you to be swift to hear and slow to speak. He wants you to have private hearing before public speaking. This was how Samuel became a national prophet in Israel. He began with private hearing (1 Samuel 3:1-20).
If you can hear well, you would speak well. If God can speak to you, He would use you to speak to men. If God can get your attention, you will not struggle to have men’s attention (Exodus 3:1-10). We are in a speaking generation. Everybody has something to say on social media, is organising speaking events, etc. But I just wish we could slow down a little to hear (James 1:19).
There is a difference between an oracle and an orator. Oracles don’t speak much, but their words carry weight and travel far (2 Kings 3:11-12). Orators are men of many words. Your notes would be full listening to an orator, but your heart would be empty. An orator would impress you but not impart you. An orator transfers knowledge; an oracle transfers the right spirit (Ezekiel 2:2, John 6:63).
The reason you should not rush to speak is because you would be tested with every knowledge you claim to know and teach (2 Corinthians 4:5-12). Like Jesus, it is such tested knowledge that truly makes you an authority in your sphere of life and destiny (Mark 1:22). Jesus was first a doer before being a teacher. He heard, did, and taught. What about you?
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria