The Love

Day 3

Let all that you do be done in love.     1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV)

              They were the bossy ones. The ones who always wanted to be the teacher or mama or president during free play. Their backpacks were always organized and their desks remained perfectly tidy. Even as kids, we knew they would end up being teachers. As they grew older, they were drawn to the smell of fresh crayons, sharpened pencils, and dry erase markers. Cutesy bulletin board punch outs and stickers sent them over the moon. They owned all the teacher things: bags, totes, rolling carts, shirts, lanyards, earrings, and shoes. There is no doubt these teachers love teaching and all things connected to the classroom.

              Some teachers love everything about their subject. As the first day of school approaches, their thoughts are filled with ways to help their students love everything about that subject too. Future scientists, mathematicians, historians, journalists, nurses, or farmers. This is what they studied for, and they can’t wait to fill young minds with knowledge.

              Other teachers adore the lesson building process. Pulling together all the extensions, interconnecting the cross-curricular content, and packaging units in palatable fashions are the joy of these teachers. PowerPoints, virtual field trips, novel studies, interviews, short stories, projects, experiments, field trips, and reports. Even reading the list of activities gets them excited.

              But beyond loving the things, subjects, and ways of the classroom, many teachers are drawn to teaching because of their passion for students. They remember being the empty bowl that needed to be filled and they can’t wait to be the one who gets to fill up fresh little minds. Other teachers remember being outcasts or troublemakers and they want to reach those kids. They want to be the adult to those kids that they would have needed at that age.

              The love we have for teaching might look different and define the heart of our why, but the biggest love that should propel each of us is God. No matter how well we teach or the number of kids that we encourage, if we aren’t loving God above all else and allowing him to guide us in our teaching responsibilities, then we are missing out. God is the one who signs off on the end of our day. Not the principal or superintendent. The love of God, shining through in all we do, needs to be a defining piece of the teaching journey too.

              Today’s verse says that all we do should be done in love. Loving what we do and doing that thing in love are different. I can love gardening but perform the task in a superficial way. I can love eating but hurry through my meal with little thought. I can also love teaching, and push the through the activities, unintentionally leaving my heart at home. Loving what we do must collide with the love of Christ radiating through our words and actions. When this occurs, god’s love, along with our own, will be clearly seen by our students.

Do the Heart Work

1.      What do you love most about teaching?

2.      Do you love what you do? Why or why not?

3.      Is the love of Christ evident in your words and deeds?

Digging Deeper

Read 1 John 3:11-18 (ESV)

              For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

              Love is the command. Because of love, Jesus became our sacrifice and payment for sins. How real is your love?

If You Get Spare Time 

              Take a look at the your classroom as an outsider would. What areas need to be adjusted to make sure students feel not only your love for the classroom, but also for them? Do they feel the love of God in your interactions with them as well?