We are in a profession where we serve others. We meet the needs of our students and their families every day. How can we serve those who treat us poorly with goodwill ? How do we respond to opportunities to serve those we don't trust or who have made our jobs more difficult? By knowing Jesus and how He served. If we are to conduct ourselves as Jesus did while he was on the earth, as
1 John 2:6 says those that profess to abide in Christ are supposed to do, we are to serve those very people. Jesus' relationship with Judas is a perfect example. Ivan Tate spoke of this. He said Jesus had to love Judas, the one he knew would betray him, as much as he loved the other disciples if he was to remain blameless. Jesus loved Judas, and served him, and WASHED his feet. Jesus did this all the while knowing Judas was going to betray him very soon. So, are we obligated, as followers of Christ, to serve those who don’t recognize all of our efforts? Yes. Can we completely ignore and not extend kindness to the ones that hurt us? No. How are we to do it? Readily and with goodwill! Not begrudgingly, not with an attitude, and not dreading it because we are really serving God! And let's be honest, the only way to accomplish that is to be in relationship with Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit. To love Him so much that our strongest desire is to see the lost saved so they can know Him like we do. To be clear, I’m not talking about letting people take advantage of us. Just like Jesus served, He was the best at telling people what they needed to hear in love. This job, your position at this school, is how you are serving Jesus. We work for Him. When we serve parents, students and coworkers, we are serving Him. And Jesus deserves no less than to be served readily and with goodwill.
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Do not let mercy and kindness and truth leave you [instead let these qualities define you]; Bind them [securely] around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. -Proverbs 3:3 This verse comes right before one that is very familiar, Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. There is an insistence in verse 3 to hold on to mercy, kindness, and truth tightly. When I think of binding something, I think of wrapping it so tightly that there is no escape. Whatever is written or inscribed on a stone tablet, refer- enced in the next line, is permanent. It can’t just be erased. This is the idea behind how securely we are to grasp the qualities listed in verse 3. Unfortunately, it can be easy to neglect mercy, kindness, and truth. Especially when we have been hurt, when we have not been shown mercy, or when we have been lied to or about. I believe that’s why we aren’t told just to know what these qualities are, but to hold on to them so tightly that we don’t easily turn from them. Of course, the more deeply rooted in Christ we are the easier it is to hold on to mercy, truth, and kindness in the face of heartache and disappointment. It’s because the more deeply rooted in Christ we are, the more we reflect His mercy, truth, and kindness. The same mercy, truth, and kindness that are daily given to us. Our ability to show those qualities to people who have wounded us doesn't come from our own strength. I have a new understanding of that familiar verse 5...We are not to lean on our own understanding when trying to figure out how to respond to those that hurt us. Our responsibility is to operate in mercy, kindness, and truth through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we acknowledge Him and follow His direction, He will make our paths to restoration and healing straight. "Discipline your children while there is still hope. Otherwise, you will ruin their lives." Such a strong verse! This message doesn’t come from me. I found a great article on discipline from Focus on the Family that explains the difference between punishment and discipline, and the part that grace plays in how we should discipline. It is written for parents but is applicable to us as teachers. We deal with this issue all day long. Use the URL below to read the article: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/effective- biblical-discipline/effective-child-discipline/punishment- versus-discipline _ "Catch the foxes for us.Catch the little foxes.They destroy our vineyards.The vineyards are in bloom.” - Song of Solomon 2:15
We have all heard the phrase “Don’t let the little foxes spoil the vine”. That phrase took on a new meaning for me this past summer. I was struggling with doubt. James chapter 1 says that the person who doubts is like a wave of the sea that the wind blows and tosses around. That described me to a “T”. My emotions were all over the place, and had me questioning if I could hear God! My doubt snuck in quietly, a little at a time. I didn’t see it for what it was, or what it was doing until I was sharing with someone about what I was dealing with and they spoke that phrase to me. You see, little foxes like the new growth on the vine the best. I had allowed the little fox of doubt to creep in. I was on the verge of letting my doubts kill the new growth taking place in my relationship with God as I was learning to trust Him in a time when my faith was being stretched. If the enemy could destroy the new growth, then the good, lasting fruit produced by this trial would be destroyed also. If you are in a similar season, ask God to show you those places where you have allowed doubt to sneak in. Then, stand on His promise in Isaiah 40:29-31 : He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NIV) I do live in the world. But I don’t fight my battles the way the people of the world do. 4 The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy.
I highlighted the word “camps” because that is what caught my attention when I read this verse. When I think of a camp, I think of someone setting up shelter to stay for awhile. I don’t want the enemy to set up any camp in any area of my life! That was my prayer this morning…that the Lord would show me places where the enemy has set up camp; places where he wants to get a foothold in my life. We all have them. But we also have the victory! Have you ever watched the movie “War Room” ? It is an amazing movie! It gives a whole new outlook on fighting the enemy through prayer. We have to know who our REAL enemy is! It’s not the wayward child, it’s not the unbelieving spouse, it’s not the hostile parent. It’s the one who prowls around like a lion, looking for someone to devour (I Peter 5:8). If we are not prayerful and don’t have discernment, he will set up camp in those areas of our lives and steal our hope and joy! Jesus said, “ But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you”(Mt. 5:44). We can all think of people who have hurt us. By God’s grace (meaning not in your own strength), forgive those who wrong you. I encourage you to intentionally lift those hurtful situations or people up in prayer. Ask God to save them, help them, and draw them to Him. That’s the way we keep the enemy from setting up camp in our lives AND destroy the ones already there.
Feel free to watch this video entitled, "Every kid needs a champion." by Rita Pierson. It is very encouraging and reminds us that we make a difference everyday in the lives of our students!
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