The gift of teaching, like perceiving, is one of the communicator gifts, more outspoken and more of a go-getter than the server. Teachers like to research, find information and share it, academics come easily to them thanks to a higher than average intelligence.They don’t have the strong perceiver need to be right or to make sure everyone else is right because they are less interested in what other people are doing. Those with a strong teaching gift can have a hard time socially since they are more inner focused. People just get in the way of a good research project!
The teacher gift comes with a certain amount of emotional stability that makes them less prone to outbursts and rebellion. It also means teachers can come across as unemotional or detached. They can be seen as unfriendly, snobbish even, because they don’t feel a strong need to join in with what the other people are doing. Teachers don’t necessarily like to deal with the discomfort of negative emotions either so you have to draw them out carefully. They are apt to be a bit detached and logical when discussing feelings. They sometimes have a hard time recognizing when their emotions are causing them to be grumpy and will blame the problem on some external event or another person. A teacher type would prefer to believe life is easier without other people around.
Teachers weaknesses and strengths
Karen has got a pretty strong teaching gift and one of her biggest challenges is to learn to be social. Chit chat does not come naturally to her; she has to work at it. Karen had to learn to follow her husband’s lead and get out and talk to people at coffee hour after church for example. Left to her own devices, she would finish up her ministry work each Sunday and just leave. Not because she wants to avoid people, but because she has a whole list of other things to get done that day. She doesn’t even realize other folks take this behavior as being snobbish. Teachers aren’t trying to snub anyone or be unfriendly; they just don’t have a real strong need to be around other people.
Teachers have an important job in the body of Christ, and it is one to not take lightly James 3;1 “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” The calling to teach has the responsibility for leading of others.Leading people down the wrong path or into wrong doctrine carries with it dire consequences…“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” Romans 16:17 -18
For this reason, teachers have been gifted with an above average amount of self confidence, you can’t be willing to step out and teach God’s word, knowing the consequences for mis-leading people, without a strong sense of conviction that you are called to teach.
Left unchecked though this strength can lead to a bit of arrogance. Teachers take pride in their intellect, thinking themselves smarter than those around them. They certainly are quick to grasp a situation, their minds work very rapidly, evaluating and coming to conclusions before other people are even aware of what is going on.
Descriptive words:
Realist
Independent (aka stubborn)
Practical
Reliable
Self motivated (prefers to do what they want vs what they are told)
Likes solitude
Academically gifted
Leader
Unimaginative
Intolerant
Find the rest of the series here:
Discover Your Spiritual Gift
Perceiver
Server
Exhorter
Giver
Administrator:
Compassion
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