The prompt today was, ‘What makes a teacher great?’ The one thing that makes anything great is love. The characteristics of love are: love does not get easily angered, love does not hold grudges, but forgives, love is patient, kind, humble, truthful, love does not boast, love is not arrogant, not rude, not selfish, not resentful, love is sacrificial, serving the best interests of others. Love is rooted in action and truth. All these and more define greatness.
Sacrificial love puts others needs above one’s own needs even to the point of self sacrifice. Love is not just a feeling or statement, but a way of acting and interacting with others. Love shows patience, kindness, and understanding to others even when they are difficult. Love perseveres through difficult circumstances and is willing to forgive. Love rejoices in truth, not wrongdoing. Love is steadily committed to to the well-being of others, not just a fleeting emotion. Love finds joy in what is good and true and does not delight in evil. All these things show greatness and without them nothing can flourish. So, a great teacher exhibits these characteristics and those receiving the teaching can feel that it is genuine.
You will find that a great teacher leaves a footprint on your life. One can only truly learn something when all these conditions are met and thus follows others that are great. Greatness begets greatness just as anger begets anger.
If you would look back over your life at the times when you have learned something well and you were passionate about it, that your teacher acted on these love principles. Those times will not easily be forgotten because love carries on and gives back what was received. The markings of love are etched in your being forever. Love leaves a mark and those marks are nothing but greatness exhibited in you.
Greatness begs to be carried on, to repeat itself in the life of another. So, with greatness love must show itself and that is what makes a teacher great. A carried on tradition that keeps repeating itself.
When God Speaks 
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