In about 1971 a simple short book was published and it was aimed at women's meetings, and it was by a minister in Michigan, USA. It was written for women's meetings and the title was intended to catch the attention: ‘Beauty Care for the Tongue.’ Two years after it was published, it was taken up by one of the big publishers, but this time, although the book was unchanged, it was clearly pitched at a more adult market, and it was very popular. There was a man who had almost torn his family apart. He was a Christian; he believed that he was genuine. He loved the Lord, but he couldn't control his temper. He would come to you and say, what can I do? He went on an anger management course. I don't decry them, but it didn't help him; his family could almost take it no more. And he was given a copy of this book, Beauty Care for the Tongue, and through prayer, and, of course, through the power of the Holy Spirit and his own efforts, his temper was cured, and that became a really happy family. He became, in his own way, as a lay person, a marvellous shepherd of souls. The secret of that book was that it set it out as a course of instruction the steps for proper speech, a loving tongue and so on: how to review your conduct, how to practice it. That's what the apostle says. Don't you teach, don't you train, yourself? Don't you keep track of your regular falls and sins and pray, and note the Scriptures that help? Our second task is to teach ourselves to witness, but our highest task is holiness.
Haven't you been teaching yourself? So many are skilled in certain things. They have been trained and done a course and learned the theory and the practical side, whatever it is. Without that, they couldn't function in their profession or their work. And holiness takes a back seat, and gets no structured attention. They don't say to themself, how am I doing with this? Daily self-examination, prayer consciously for help to overcome this and that and the other. Let's tackle holiness so that the text could never say to us with surprise, ‘Haven't you ever trained yourself first?’
Who is fit to teach others, that does not first teach himself? How can he expect others to learn lessons which he himself has not learnt. Apart from anything else, this puts into question his ability as a teacher. If his teaching is clear enough for others to understand what to do, then he too must know what to do, and yet he does not do it. Of course, when he teaches others he is listening to his own voice. If his words are compelling to others, then why are they not compelling to him also? This can only be a case of failing to value the truth. He clearly does not believe what he says; he does not believe that obedience to God is really profitable. He is using the teaching office not to build up others in the truth, but to make a fair show in the flesh. A man does not tell others where gold can be found in the river, and not go and take some himself, and this is especially the case in moral matters. How important example is, and the practicing of what we preach!