Victorious

Day 3, Identity

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (ESV)

Ned rarely smiled. He stood with his back perfectly straight as if training for the military. School was a requirement and he struggled through, especially with reading. He had a few friends he talked to outside of class, but in class, he never volunteered answers or spoke unless spoken to. He existed, made mediocre grades, and kept his head low.

              One day during math centers, I noticed something about Ned. He was fabulous at performing math processes: adding, subtracting, long division, larger multiplication. I began watching him more closely. Every skill I taught, he mastered immediately, and every now and then I’d even catch him smiling.

              After a couple months, I asked Ned to stay inside for a few minutes after class. “Ned, I’ve noticed how fast you catch on to new skills in math and I’m impressed. I think you could outperform everyone in my class on the state test at this rate.”

              Ned hung his head. “I never will.” The words were barely a whisper.

              “Ned, look at me. Do you want to score well?”

              Teary eyes met mine. “Yes.”

              “That’s all I need to know. If you want to, I will help you.”

              “But I can’t read. You know that.”

              “Can you memorize?”

              Ned looked at me curiously. “Of course.”

              “Then we will start learning key words and phrases so you can pick those out of longer word problems.”

              “You really think I can do it?”

              “No doubts on my end.”

              That was the day Ned changed. Every day he reviewed the stack of vocabulary words I made for him and regularly we practiced solving word problems with those key words in them. Each test his grades soared higher and every day he grew more confident in himself. Ned soon became my top math student and helped struggling students on assignments when he finished.

              The day my class test scores came in, I hurried down to Ned’s name. Like I expected, he scored a five, the highest in my class. I dialed his home number and asked if Ned was home. His dad put the call on speaker phone, and I told them the news. I could hear the elation in both their voices and told Ned how proud I was of all his hard work. Ned overcame and he experienced true victory.

              Our students need to know we believe in them. That we will do everything in our power to help them overcome any obstacle in their way. They need to know we will equip them, train them, and walk with them into victory no matter how hard the road.

              And victory isn’t only experienced when overcoming academic obstacles, but also personal ones. And spiritual ones. If we have truly been saved by Jesus, we understand that his death on the cross in our place gave us victory over sins. His forgiveness, grace, and redemption cause us to hold our heads up and live like we can overcome. And we can. Because he has overcome the world.

Do the Heart Work

1.      Who are your students who feel defeated? What obstacles are in their way?

2.      In what ways have you seen students experience victory in your classroom?

3.      How have you experienced victory through Jesus Christ?

Digging Deeper            

Read Romans 8:31-39 (ESV)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

              Through Christ, we are not just overcomers, we are more than conquerors. Man, that gets me excited. Nothing can separate us from Christ and his love. Through him we are granted victory over death and sin. We are promised eternity with him. And we can trust him to help us have the victory in our classroom.

If You Get Spare Time 

              Educators love vocabulary, so let’s do a little schoolwork. In your mind, what does it mean to be victorious? Does it mean being the best? Winning? Excelling? Or does it mean something deeper? Weightier? Or lighter? Spend some time in prayer or through journaling and talk to God about real victory looks like. Being victorious is a part of our God-given identity, so how can you embrace this truth?