Over the past 30 years in Christian education, I have had the opportunity to talk to thousands of students who are struggling with their faith. For many students, the issue seems to be linked to their confusion and frustration when they hear biblical principles affirmed by parents, teachers, and pastors, but they often see a lifestyle that runs counter to those principles.
In his book, Rethinking Discipleship, Alan Pue makes this statement, “Upon just a bit of reflection, we will all be forced to admit that much of what we learn, we learn through observation. It is not just content; it is also context.” He goes on to say, “it is that daily reinforcement that makes all the difference for good or bad.” I couldn’t agree more. What is confusing for young people today is when we as the teachers and authorities in the room try to tie our instruction to the word of God but end up living a life that is contrary to those things we say are right and true.
James, the half-brother of Jesus, hit the nail on the head when he was inspired to write the following, found in James 1:22-25:
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and goes away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”
“But the one that looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
So what does this mean for Christian educators today? Simply put:
- We must remember that God’s word must be at the heart of everything that is done in a Christian school. It was the Lord’s prayer for His disciples and us today, that we be “Sanctified by truth; Your word is truth.”
- We must lock in on God’s word and study it carefully, as to hide it in our hearts and study to “show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
- God’s word must abide in us and we must abide in it. This means that God’s word must be at home in us and we must know it above all else, so that we live it out in the lives of our schools.
Nothing will impact our homes, churches, schools, and communities more than the Word of God being consistently lived out!
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