What are the characteristics of a good teacher? Many will say things like charismatic, language fluency, animated, great in content knowledge, caring, etc. James 3:1-2a declared that many teachers stumbled: “ 1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2aWe all stumble in many ways.”

The character of a good teacher and a perfect man is stated in James 3:2b: “ 2bIf anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. ”

A faultless and tamed tongue can control big challenges and objects like horses, ship and of course, a whole class of students as in James 3:3-4: “ 3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”

A wild and uncontrolled tongue can destroy forest, one’s life and the hope & destiny of the students as in James 3:5-6: “ 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

James 3:7-12 further says “ 7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

Therefore, I’m calling on all teachers to speak blessings (words of hope, affirmation, encouragement, faith…) instead of curses.