“To do good is noble, but to teach others to do good is nobler…and much less trouble.” ~Mark Twain
Many of us who are writers and teachers hope, I suspect, to affirm our own nobility by telling others how to behave.* Yet most of us are at least part-time purveyors of the sins we condemn, and spotty practitioners of the virtues we extol.
A. A. Milne, creator of Winnie the Pooh and real life daddy of Christopher Robin, was reportedly a cold and distant father. Beloved Victorian moralist Charles Dickens summarily dumped his wife of twenty years for a 17 year old actress.
Are we trying to get into heaven by riding the coattails of those we shove?
The Apostle Paul admonishes us to “be a model” to those we teach, “both in word and in deed, in love, faith, and purity.” “Live there,” he says, “be that person…so that your progress is apparent to all…for by so doing you will not only save yourself, but your hearers, as well!” (I Timothy 4:12-16)
*Yes, I, as a writer and teacher, am using this post to do precisely that. Please excuse me while I remove the plank from my eye.
Mitch Teemley 
Amen!
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So well said! Thank you for posting this much needed truth…needed by me that is! ☺
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Mitch, You do a rousing job in both word and deed. This site is a haven of guidance and inspiration.
Many thanks for the many lifts you give (and for the smiles and giggles too). Methinks you’ve found the perfect balance.
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Thank you, as always, dear Sarah.
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Such a great reminder…thank you.
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Ah, tis so noble to be honestly human.
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I often feel the burden of being a model, and usually feel either too thin ( it actually happened – once) or too fat. At any rate the point is I agreed. As flawed as we are, we must seriously purpose to do our best.
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I preach to myself all the time, Mitch! 😀 Great and challenging post!
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As a fellow, writer, preacher and poet your thoughts today strike a chord. It can get all too easy to justify a lot of neglect because of the “something important” that we get into the middle of “creating.”
Grace got into my life when I got more conscious of doing it right vis-a-vis my own family and friends.
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Been there.
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Hi Mitch,
Change= insight + action
I love teaching and learning.
What I’ve noticed is that I learned faster than I can practice it.
I know we all get a turn to practice what we preach, so I try to live in the now and wait for my turn.
People relate better to my experience than my opinion.
Thanks for the great reminder to walk the walk.
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Amen to all of the above, Vernon!
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Why would we not want to share good deeds and the technique to do so? Great post.
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Reblogged this on Smart Christian.net.
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I’m honored, Wanda.
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Funny a little twisted but funny
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Hi Mitch,
Yes, with Jesus as our strength, we set the model. The impossible is possible.
Thank you,
Gary
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