The title of this blog is not about bricks and mortar, but about men and women, girls and boys! And then, more specifically, about Christian brothers and sisters!
I taught young people for nearly 40 years. I must have marked thousands of maths tests, English essays and other tests over the years, and taught around 2000 kids in my career.
I had been fortunate enough to study at one of Britains top universities, and after completing further study in Norway, I emarked on a teaching career, exacting the same high academic standards of my kids at school, that had been exacted of me at university.
This frustrated a sizeable section of my classes – that amounts to a number of pupils.
It took me some years to understand that I had to change my style!
Things came to a head with a particular class I had. Towards the end of the year, they were becoming increasingly fed up with me as their teacher. The reason: Nothing was ever good enough! They were not good enough!
The experience made a very deep and lasting impression on me. I finally understood what was happening. They needed to feel secure in my acceptance of them as the kids they were, not for me constantly to be raising the academic bar above what many were able to achieve. They actually needed to relate to me as a person, needed me to listen to them; not just arrive in class, deliver the goods and depart.
When I understood this, and was able to relax and enjoy being with the kids, it radically changed the atmosphere in my classes. From then on, we really had a great deal of fun together in class! Everyone benefitted!
I was able to see each individual pupil in a different light, as someone uniquely gifted by God. And I began to see that although it was academic prowess I was employed to promote, it was not that alone. Gifting comes in an infinite number of shapes and sizes, and not all is academic. Helping each individual pupil to develop that gifting without treading on their young lives became my joy! Even if academic goals could not always be met!
I have shared at some length from my teaching career, because there are parallels to life in Church.
As a Christian and a member of the Body of Christ, you are a uniquely gifted person. We are not only talking about your natural gifts which secular education has hopefully helped you to develop. We are in addition talking about your spiritual gifts – yes, you have spiritual gifts. You can read about them in the New Testament (Romans ch. 12, 1 Cor. 12-14, Eph. 4). Christ has gifted you both naturally and spiritually to serve his Body, the Church, and be a witness to him in the world.
Whether God uses our natural or spiritual gifts, our service for him is LOVE DRIVEN, and works by FAITH!
However, until faith grows into a great oak tree, it is at times a fragile plant, which can’t survive being out in the cold too long, or being blown upon with strong northerly winds. The right conditions for faith to grow into that oak tree should ideally be in the Church, in the form of nourishment, instruction and opportunities for service. There is one word which I hold covers a lot in this respect, that word is ENCOURAGEMENT!
Listen to the Holy Spirit! He is the GREAT ENCOURAGER OF THE SAINTS!
Just as school children grow intellectually and emotionally through respect and encouragement in class, so God´s people grow spiritually through the mutual encouragement that should be in the Body of Christ!
Make it your business to encourage and confirm your brothers and sisters in their faith! To strengthen another in their devotion to, and faith in Christ, is your most holy calling!
BE BLESSED!☺️