Patterns Matter!

"Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 1:13 NLT).

I remember when I was sewing most of my clothes--primarily because of a home economics class in which I had to learn to read a pattern--how difficult it was for me to understand the pattern. The one thing I noticed, though is when I had "repeated"using the pattern often enough, I had no problem getting the results I wanted in the clothing I wanted to wear. This was in high school--when we didn't have much money and fabric was considerably cheap. I was able to use patterns from a neighbor and learned to modify the pattern to suit my own tastes. I made jackets, pantsuits (before they were popular) skirts, dresses, belts--whatever I wanted to wear. I even learned to modify clothing by adding "lace or trimming" to lengthen a gown for someone else.

When my daughter first began school, I made her school clothes and then somewhere along the way, I stopped sewing and lost sight of how to read the patterns.

When we don't practice doing a thing--we lose sight on how to do it. Like learning a foreign language--we must practice or we lose our ability to remember it. Typing requires continual practice to maintain accuracy and speed.  The same principle applies to--well, just about anything--we must practice and hold onto patterns in learning that make learning worthwhile.

If this works for learning, it will also work for teaching--anything. When we develop wholesome patterns--that work every time--we create situations in which we can be assured of the results. And this is the admonition Paul was giving to Timothy (and us)--make sure the pattern is shaped by faith and love we have in Christ Jesus.

If what we teach is not based upon the same pattern--foundation in The Word--the results will be unpredictable and this is how division in the body of Christ is created--people have forgotten to hold onto the pattern of faith and love.

Establishing patterns in life--make differences--especially when we want to achieve specific results--time after time--that glorify God!

Hold onto the patterns of wholesome teaching based upon The Word and be assured of the results that have a foundation in The Word, shaped by faith and love!