This Could Be

This Could Be...


A long time ago I used to be a teacher.  Throughout my illustrious career I taught Jr. High Bible and History, classes on self image, and I even had a stint as a fourth grade teacher.  Yesterday my wife needed help with something and so I stopped by the local Christian High School.  All the students will arrive today and the new principal, Chris, was in the office late getting things ready.  Chris is full of enthusiasm, energy, and zeal.  Just the small interaction that I had with him shouted to me the feelings I used to have at the beginning of every year.  The excitement that hope brings.  This could be the year God allows you to touch that one student in a way that changes them forever.  The hope that this could be the year that the light turns on in many students and they catch what you are casting out there.  The hope that this year will be a year filled with the ability to support all the families your students represent. Or, most importantly, the hope that this would be the year that God would allow you to be there when a child walks from darkness to light.  Teachers who love their students and love their jobs are always filled with hope at the beginning of the school year.  This could be the year...and the truth is, that each year is filled with such great rewards that they often outshine even our greatest hopes.
Teaching is a rewarding job but it is also a difficult job.  Anytime you seek to serve people it can be messy.  Children can be complex and their life’s situations can be complicated.  Teaching is having to be “on” every day you are in front of the students.  The amount of prep work and paperwork that needs to be done so that you can stand and teach for those few moments can be overwhelming.  Most teachers are naturally creative but creativity takes consistent energy and work.  All teachers – public school, private school, home school – need our prayers and support as they seek to impact our children.
Paul, in encouraging Titus as a pastor said this, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”  Titus 2:7,8.  I know this was written to a pastor but this is my prayer for our teachers.  All the teacher I know are teaching because they want what is best for their students.  They chose teaching because they wanted to model good works, integrity, dignity, and a thirst for knowledge.  They want to make a positive difference in the lives of students.  They have given up their lives to do so.  They deserve our prayers and support.
Listen to what Solomon says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”  Prov 9:9.  One way you can support your child’s teacher is by teaching your child to be wise and righteous.  The majority of teachers...teach!  It is up to our children to be wise enough to learn.  It is up to us to lead our children in the paths of righteousness so that they have hearts that desire to soak up what the teacher is teaching.  As a pastor, I understand that not everyone of my sermons is going to be golden, but I find that I am a much better speaker when people come with hearts open to listening and learning.  Do your best to create in your children hearts that desire to learn.
Schools are back in session.  Learning is happening and the work has begun. Let’s support our teachers and students.  Let’s pray that they keep the main thing the main thing and that God uses this year to grow our children into the Christian warriors that God will use to turn our nation back to him.  With God, there is always hope that this could be the year.