Faithfulness in the Classroom

What is faithfulness?  The Word describes God’s faithfulness to us in multiple ways throughout the Bible. I am always motivated to prayerwalk on the beach at sunrise because of His faithfulness. (Lam. 3:22-24 -Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.) Have you wondered what faithfulness looks like in the classroom? As one of the “9” of the 16-9 Movement, faithfulness plays a critical role as a Christian educator. Faithfulness is in the small things.

When you rise up in the morning, do you pray and ask for God’s vision and purpose for the new day? Starting the day in prayer and in the Word is the first step of your faithfulness as an educator. So many teachers have such early schedules that it seems impossible to squeeze prayer into the morning routine, but it is not only possible, it is critical to your success.  If it means rearranging your routine, look hard to find ways to juggle what you are doing now. If it means getting up ½ hour earlier, it will be the best investment in your whole day. 

The next area of faithfulness is our appearance. Do we dress professionally? When you select your clothes, why not pray about it? Ask God how you would represent Him best. To some it may seem silly to pray about what to wear, but that focus of dedicating your day to Him, makes decisions about appearance simpler. We all know that our students notice everything we wear and often have plenty to say about it. Being faithful to your appearance as an ambassador of Christ is noteworthy.

As you drive to school and process all the things that have to be gathered and organized, be faithful to guarding your tongue. Another great prayer is to ask God to help you prepare the words you will say and that you may be a blessing to your students. Being faithful to using words of encouragement, kindness and gentleness to our students does not always come easy, but that’s why we pray! 

Be faithful to the integrity of the content you have been charged to teach. Being compliant to the standards and rules set out by your district and principal are a sign of your faithfulness and help your administrators to see you as someone they can always rely on.

As a Christian educator, your expectations are higher since you work first for the Lord and then for your district. Faithfulness to prayer, your appearance, the words you say, and obedience to authority are signposts of an educator who understands their high calling. Being faithful is not always easy, but it is always rewarding.

3 John 1:3 - It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.

Prayerfully yours,

K

Note: To more fully understand the 16-9 Movement, please read the first blog entry by clicking here.