Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. Galatians 6:6 (CSB)
A few days ago, out of the blue, a good friend texted saying “Let’s catch up sometime.” On the phone not long after, he stated, “I just wanted to encourage you. Remember that time a few years ago, when you were telling us the blessings of living debt-free?” Referring to some conversations we had had about what the Bible teaches about money, he continued. “My wife and I were thinking about refinancing our home about that same time, but like the Bible says, ‘the borrower is slave to the lender,’ and that got us thinking. Instead of just refinancing, maybe we could pay more against the principal.” Now, with the passage of a few years, he and his wife are within striking distance of paying off their home mortgage and being debt-free.
That friend was kind to make the effort to reach out and say “thank you” for some chats we had enjoyed some time ago. The context of today’s verse is, when we learn the Bible from a pastor or teacher, it is our obligation to contribute to the church to help pay the pastor’s salary.
On a broader level, it can mean when we learn something from somebody, we should go back and thank the teacher. There is an old saying, “We stand on the shoulders of giants.” That is, any progress we make is thanks to those who have gone on before us and taught us their lessons and paved the way for us. No one is a “self-made man.” All of us have learned from countless people: parents, siblings, teachers, pastors, friends, bosses, colleagues, neighbors, writers, etc.
As we enter this Thanksgiving Season, who are some of the people who have invested in you by teaching you? Reach out and thank them today!
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To learn more about the verse, “the borrower is slave to the lender” and what it means to you, read here.
