Editor’s note: The school year is right around the corner! Let’s pray for all of our hardworking teachers who are headed back to the classroom for another wonderful year instructing our kids. Teachers, this excerpt of Encouragement for Teachers is for you!
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Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Jesus doesn’t let us sing some hymns and go to Bible study each week and say we’re done. He challenges us to do more and be better. He dares us to be bolder and braver and to love harder. He urges us to step outside of our comfort zones to care for one another in the middle of our messy lives and emotions.
Teaching isn’t always easy either. There are many challenges that come with the job, and it can be tough to always show love and kindness to people who may not respect or love us back. We may find ourselves wanting to give in to our human nature and react with anything but love more often than we care to admit.
Jesus was human too. He knows how we feel and what our weaknesses are. But He also knows what we are capable of. He doesn’t ask us to do anything that we can’t do.
So when the Bible tells us to “love one another” and to “outdo one another in showing honor,” we can be confident that those are things we can absolutely do.
How will you rise to the challenge today?
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Live As You Preach
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. — Matthew 7:16–17 ESV
Our world is so noisy these days. Social media infiltrates every aspect of our lives, bringing the words and opinions of family, friends, and even strangers into our homes. The online strife bleeds over into family time and slips into bed with us as we doomscroll before sleeping.
In the midst of all this noise, words can become hollow and empty. Anyone can say the right thing, but the truth of someone’s character and convictions comes out loudly and clearly in their actions. If you are talking the talk, you better be walking the walk. If you aren’t, then it doesn’t matter how big your platform is; eventually, people will stop listening.
If you are passionate about an issue, all the promises of love and light and prayers don’t amount to anything if you aren’t following those words up with action.
- If it matters to you, show up.
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The Two Greatest Commandments
God’s greatest commandments to us are to love Him and to love our neighbors as ourselves. It all boils down to living a life overflowing with love, to treating others with the same kindness and care that Jesus demonstrated for us. So how does something so simple become so complicated?
In truth, it’s still that simple. Our disagreements about school policy or about how kids should and shouldn’t be disciplined, or our annoyance at that parent who seems to turn a blind eye to their misbehaving child just don’t hold up when viewed through the lens of love.
Choose love today.
Ask God to lend you His vision. As you interact with each person you meet and each student you teach, ask yourself how you can love them like Jesus. And then do it. You’ll find your heart warming toward even the most seemingly unlovable people when you do your best to see them through Jesus’ eyes.
Excerpted with permission from Encouragement for Teachers, copyright Thomas Nelson.
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Your Turn
Teachers, Jesus loves you! What you do on campus and in the classroom matters tremendously. Be encouraged today that God is with you and He will help you to be both strong and loving! ~ Devotionals Daily