The Greatest Teaching Aid
A Parallel to 1st Corinthians 13
Though I teach my class with the Word of God and carefully prepared materials, and have not love for my pupils, I am nothing more than a teaching robot or an unconcerned mimic.
And though I have the ability to tell good stories and to understand this age group and attend teachers’ meetings and teaching seminars, and though I know the attention span of the children,and have not love, I am not God’s example of a good teacher.
And though I study my lesson, and though I spend much time preparing visuals and have not love, it is of little profit or worth.
Love makes me pray for my students by name; love makes me aware of the needs of each of my pupils. Love for my pupils makes me think less of my own needs.
Love makes me spend time with my pupils in church and in their homes. It makes me stay calm when my pupils are overactive in their behavior.
Love helps us when we become discouraged. It helps us believe that God’s spirit will work in the hearts of our students. It gives us hope that our students will accept Jesus as their Savior and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And love helps us serve even though no one pats us on the back for the work we have done.
Love never fails, even though we as teachers fail. For if we teach in the flesh, we shall only reap fleshly results--- a smile, a nod of indifference, or a blank expression.
Our job, that being of teachers, is limited. We can diligently study and adequately present the day’s lesson and still have no results. But when the Holy Spirit teaches through us, then the hearts of our boys and girls respond to God’s word.
When I teach in my own power, I speak only words and my pupils understand only words; their lives are not touched. But when God’s spirit guides my teaching, I am completely usable by Him, and my boys and girls are blessed and drawn closer to Jesus.
Although we do not see the immediate results of our teaching, when we get to heaven, God will reward us for our faithful service.
And now we have access to good Sunday School literature, excellent teaching methods, Godly love---these three, but the greatest of these is God’s love manifested through our lives.
Love is by far the greatest teaching aid for the Sunday School teacher. Children can quickly detect a teacher’s love and concern. They can just as readily sense one’s indifference.
Before we can show others our Godly love, we must first experience it ourselves. If there is envy, bitterness, or mistrust in our lives, God’s love is not operable. John writes “If God so loves us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:11).
God greatly loves us and each of our students. How will our boys and girls learn of God’s love except through us? We can tell them “God is love” (1 John 4:8). However, our demonstration of love to these boys and girls is much more effective.
Our students watch us carefully as we speak of Jesus and His Word. They watch us deal with problems within our class. They even watch out lives outside the classroom.
Does our love extend to every student, expecting nothing in return? Do we truly demonstrate God’s love?