Our Instructors

Galatians 6:6
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

Here we have one verse of many that supports our having paid pastors and teachers. We would like to think that our pastors and teachers should be willing to work and study and learn all for free. Yet, when it comes to our jobs we can readily see that we need compensation (and most everyone would say they don’t get what they deserve – whatever that may be). We tend to think that this is a new concept, paying our leaders, and wonder if it is even Biblical. Well, as you can see, it is.
It was Biblical even before Christ. The Israelites were commanded to take their tithes to the temple, and the Levites (those set aside to do the work of the Lord) were then fed and taken care of through those offerings. Now, you and I could give groceries, or land, or houses, or cars, or whatever (and I’ve heard of people doing this), but really, it’s much easier to give a tithe of our income, and let that go to take care of our modern-day Levites.
I like that this verse says that we “must share all good things” (emphasis mine). Not our leftovers, the things we don’t like anymore, the things that we are debating throwing away and think that maybe the church would like them instead. Even the Israelites were told to give the first fruits of their crops – the first, the best, not whatever is left unwanted. These brothers and sisters share their time, energy, and talents with us, and so we should be willing (and eager) to share with them, don’t you agree?
This could even go beyond the church to other ministries we have been blessed by. I can think of so many that God has used to bless my life. Perhaps you don’t have money to give, but I’m sure you have something else you could offer. I bet we’d be surprised at what God can do with our gifts and talents when we offer them to Him.
Let’s go to God today and ask what He would have us share. I’m sure we can each name one or two people in our lives that have blessed us immensely with their teaching and insight. Let’s go to God today and ask how we can return the blessing to them! (And guess what? We’ll probably be blessed right back again! Isn’t God wonderful?!)