“The two most powerful forces in your life are your thoughts and your words.” — Thomas McDaniels
When I ponder this quote, I can’t help but think back to the teachers in my life. After all, they were the ones who taught me to read, write, think, and present ideas clearly. They equipped me to harness these “powerful forces” as I now go into the world to bless others.
During Teacher Appreciation Week, it is appropriate to think about the role of teachers in blessing the world. Together, they invest in millions of lives that each has the potential to do wonderful good in their communities. But when we think about teachers, we usually pass right over them and focus on the huge potential of the students they are teaching . . . and most teachers wouldn’t want it any other way.
However, teachers themselves are blessing the world as they do good and represent Christ. Their daily activities are examples of how Common Grace is at work. What are some of those ways? Here is our list, and we would welcome you to share some of the ones that come to your mind:
- Teachers have the opportunity to represent truth about nature, history, science, culture and many other domains to students each day. A teacher’s commitment to share truth changes the way their students view the world.
- Teachers model relationship skills with their students and show them how to work as a team, work through disagreements and learn together.
- Teachers can bless their fellow teachers through their input and mentoring. By investing in other teachers, they can create synergies that lead to better instruction.
- Teachers can speak into the lives of families as they interact with students and their parents, siblings, spouses, etc. Through these interactions they can highlight how the student is growing and help those they love develop ways to encourage their learning.
- Teachers can identify the strengths of a student and help them to build on their passions and abilities. This simple act of encouraging a student in the skills or vocations that fit them best will set that student up to be On Call in Culture as they go out to bless the world.
