Learning is a Choice

   In the past week, God has been using my students once again to teach me about Himself. We've come into the final stretch of the school year. As of tomorrow, we only have three weeks of academic learning left and one week of fun activities. Since we are so close to the end of the year, my students are officially shutting down. They don't want to learn any more; they don't want to follow school and classroom rules that have been in place since the beginning. The only thing they want to do is have fun and please themselves.

   As a teacher, this behavior is frustrating. They have so much more to learn before they are ready for the next grade. I want to get them as ready as possible, but they are refusing to cooperate. They don't see how it matters in the long run. My students can't see why it is so much better to learn now rather than later.

   I'm not even all that mad. I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed because I know they have the ability to learn, but they are choosing not to care. I'm disappointed because they are choosing a path that will cause them problems later in life...maybe as soon as in a few months when they start a new grade or perhaps later in life.

   I can't help but think that this is often how God feels about me. He keeps trying to teach me lessons that will help me in the future. But, like a willful child, I refuse to listen and learn because I'm tired of working hard and I just don't care any more.

  Just like I am disappointed with my students,  He is disappointed with my actions and words. God is trying to teach me and help me grow because He loves me. Not that He doesn't want me to have fun, but He wants me to learn certain lessons so that I will be better prepared for the future.

   Perseverance is hard. There are so many days that I just want to relax and do what makes me happy. I can't lie; I've done just that quite a bit lately. I've let my own wants takeover and I haven't been taking care of things at school quite as well as I should be. Instead of grading papers, I come home and watch Netflix or take a nap or read a book. I tell myself, "I just can't think any more. I'm just too tired." And all the while, God has been telling me, "Don't do it. You'll have a mess later and you'll regret it." But I ignored that still, small voice. Now I have piles of grading to do and other things to catch up on. If I had only listened to my teacher! And I know that my choices have disappointed my Father.

   So now I have some-not-so-nice consequences to deal with. Hopefully, I can convince my students that hard work now is better than even harder work later. And from now on, hopefully we can all (teacher and students) make choices to learn and listen in a way that will bring God honor and glory.