When you speak truth because you live it, you gain respect and are trusted.

Prov. 16:21 The wise are known for their understanding, and instruction is appreciated if it's well presented.

There are good teachers and bad teachers. There are those who teach from what they know and those who teach what they don't know. A good teacher believes from the heart what he has learned and knows to be true. The best teachers have lived and experienced the truthfulness of what they teach. Understanding comes from living, not books. Speaking from experience validates one's teachings.

When you speak truth because you live it, you gain respect and are trusted. It is important to know what gives a teacher credibility. The better you know your teacher, the more you can trust the worth of what is being said. Wisdom dictates that we be careful whom we allow to teach us.

It is good to sit at the feet of a good teacher who knows well how to teach. We learn best from those who teach well. For me, one of the things that I respond well to is one who teaches from the heart and not just a book. I trust more what is lived than I do what is taught. I want to know how truth works in life.

If you are a teacher of the Word, take your role as a teacher seriously. Those you teach are depending on you to help them learn how to apply Truth to their living. They need to know from your living and learning how to better walk in faith. Don't waste the opportunity God gives you to help others. Do your best to present Truth well. Don't be afraid to be transparent. Share how you have learned the lessons of faith you teach. Share your struggles, failures and victories. In other words, be real. It's okay to be vulnerable, because everyone is in real life.

If you are not a teacher, thank the Lord for your teachers, pray for them, and let them know that you appreciate them.