Going in Training
As a new school year begins, I face a whole new crop of students to love and direct. We spend our early days getting to know one another and building new routines.
It is the same each fall as I forget how well trained my class was in the past school year. My students learn what is expected and by the end of the year they easily follow routines and tasks because they are well versed in what to do.
Then I get a new batch of students who have no idea how I operate my classroom and what I expect of them. It takes many weeks of training for students to function well in the day-to-day operation of our school setting.
Without this time of training our classroom days would be chaos. It would be challenging to educate students if they are unable to follow directions and don’t know how to behave in particular situations.
The first weeks of school take a lot of extra effort on my part to guide my students and show them how we will work together to learn for the year. Some days I just want to say “forget it”, but I know that isn’t good. It’s a matter of short-term pain for long-term gain. Taking time to train my students reaps huge rewards later in the school year.
Growing in our Christian walk doesn’t just happen either. It is not a matter of believing and suddenly we are mature Christians and know it all. Each day is a time for growing and learning more about our loving Heavenly Father, our gracious Saviour Jesus, and the Holy Spirit who helps direct us.
The Apostle Paul, when talking to young Timothy, directs us this way:
“Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8 NIV)
What is godliness? My Bible notes it this way – “It implies a good and holy life, with special emphasis on its source, a deep reverence for God.” (NIV text notes)
Like being a good student, godliness does not just happen. It takes daily practice and training. To become well versed in the faith we need time in God’s Word and strong Biblical teaching. We need time in communion with our Lord, seeking His direction and guidance.
When I am working with my students, I am training them for a successful year. Paul points out that the training we do towards godliness has implications not just for the here and now, but for eternity.
As we head into fall with lots of programs and things starting up, it is time to consider how we will train ourselves, not only for this life, but for eternal life. How do we spend our time effectively so we can grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord? How do we prepare ourselves to live as Christian witnesses in this life? How do we nurture our faith to be ready for eternity?
Training for physical endurance, such as training for a marathon is serious business. We wouldn’t last very long in a race if we have not practiced beforehand. I pray, dear friends, that you will take time to consider how you are training for the race and that you will seek God’s guidance to live a life full of His purpose and promise.
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