Whoso ariseth among you…
Whoso ariseth among you to teach the Cause of his Lord, let him, before all else, teach his own self, that his speech may attract the hearts of them that hear him. Unless he teacheth his own self, the words of his mouth will not influence the heart of the seeker. Take heed, O people, lest ye be of them that give good counsel to others but forget to follow it themselves
~ Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 277
Baha’is use the term teach to refer to any time we are letting someone know about the Faith, whether it be through our words or our actions. Before teaching others though, it is important that we first teach ourselves what having faith, and devotion to leading a spiritual life is all about. For if we fail to do so, we can cause more harm than good by providing a poor example. We likely have all seen false prophets and those who would follow a “do as I say, not as I do” approach to spiritual teachings. It is my hope that Baha’is will take the high ground and become living examples of the spiritual teachings of Baha’u’llah.