What I have learned about being a teacher from God
I have learned to not have favorite students. It's clear that God has favorites by the way He treats us all with no equality. My family and I aren't on His favorite list and it's rotten. I'm not gonna do that to my students, I'm not going to make some feel like I like them and some feel like I couldn't care less about them. It's not fair and I want to be just.
God's Favorites: He always provides for what they need, He never takes away anyone they care about, He gives them what they want when they want it most of the time.
God's Non-Favorites: He doesn't provide for them consistently so they have have to work 12/6 to barely pay the minimum on the bills while they watch others have more than enough without even trying, He goes long periods of time not talking to His children that He says He loves, He continually breaks them letting things get worse with no break or explanation, He let's them get their hope up only to smack it out of their hand, He treats them like they don't matter to Him.
Now, I realize that He's decent enough to give Non-Favorites air and life, but it'd be nice to get thrown a few more bones than that. I also realize that He never promised to make things easy, but I'm not asking for easy I'm asking for fair. God says He's just and good, but I'm not seeing it; and every time I get a glimpse of His goodness and justness, it's quickly disproved. Things will seem slightly less shaky and then someone you love and care about will loose their job just 2 days after Christmas, wouldn't you agree that that's not good? And what's fair about busting your butt to simply pay your bills and support your family, while others do next to nothing and have more than enough to do whatever they want and live less then decent lives? Cognitive dissonance, that's what plagues me: I know God is good/just/loving, but I don't see that being perpetuated.
So, in conclusion, I'm not going to treat my students like God treats His Non-Favorites. I'll still give grace, love, and mercy, but in a way that is tangible to them no matter what. I'll make them feel loved, valued, special, and safe.
God's Favorites: He always provides for what they need, He never takes away anyone they care about, He gives them what they want when they want it most of the time.
God's Non-Favorites: He doesn't provide for them consistently so they have have to work 12/6 to barely pay the minimum on the bills while they watch others have more than enough without even trying, He goes long periods of time not talking to His children that He says He loves, He continually breaks them letting things get worse with no break or explanation, He let's them get their hope up only to smack it out of their hand, He treats them like they don't matter to Him.
Now, I realize that He's decent enough to give Non-Favorites air and life, but it'd be nice to get thrown a few more bones than that. I also realize that He never promised to make things easy, but I'm not asking for easy I'm asking for fair. God says He's just and good, but I'm not seeing it; and every time I get a glimpse of His goodness and justness, it's quickly disproved. Things will seem slightly less shaky and then someone you love and care about will loose their job just 2 days after Christmas, wouldn't you agree that that's not good? And what's fair about busting your butt to simply pay your bills and support your family, while others do next to nothing and have more than enough to do whatever they want and live less then decent lives? Cognitive dissonance, that's what plagues me: I know God is good/just/loving, but I don't see that being perpetuated.
So, in conclusion, I'm not going to treat my students like God treats His Non-Favorites. I'll still give grace, love, and mercy, but in a way that is tangible to them no matter what. I'll make them feel loved, valued, special, and safe.
I have often thought something along this line - believing that I just wish life/God was fair. But is that really what you want? Fair would mean an eternity separated from His love and the possibility of relationship with Him because that is the fair penalty for our sin. The more I read Scripture and learn about God, the more I am overwhelmed with just how much I don't understand Him. And if I could understand Him, He wouldn't be God - He would be on the same level (or below) my human funkiness. That's not a God that I want to serve or worship!
ReplyDeleteI know you know all these things, but I'm just reminding you. I love you! And my corner of Greensboro misses you!!
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ReplyDeleteYea, I know. I don't necessarily mean "fair", perhaps "same" or "equally"; some people He seems to give everything good and others He seems to take a dump on.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean! I have definitely felt that way (often) when I see the happy little Cru families who seem like they have all the blessings that I want. I just try to trust that God sees the whole picture when I see my own little section of things. And I really love the Spurgeon quote that says, "If there were any place better for you than the one in which you find yourself, Divine Love would have placed you there." I have that posted on my laptop and sometimes I just have to read it over and over and choose to believe it.
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