My friend Rachel over at Grace4Teachers wrote this beautiful article about finding peace as a teacher. Despite all of the mess that comes with teaching, God promises us peace.
Check out the full article Finding Peace in the Chaos on her blog, but you can enjoy a sample right here.
Don’t you love stock photos of teachers?
The teacher with every hair perfectly in place…her beautiful unwrinkled button-down shirt. Her glistening white smile. The beautiful chalkboard behind her. Her students sitting in spotless desks with their hands eagerly outstretched, waiting patiently for their turn to talk.
It always looks so calm and peaceful. It doesn’t look like me or my classroom.
My hair is thrown back in a messy bun because I just don’t feel like dealing with it anymore. My shirt is covered in pen marks and fruit cocktail juice (from tearing off those plastic coverings on fruit cups at lunch). I choose to not look at the desks because they give me nightmares. My whiteboard is covered with marker residue, and I have forgotten to change the date at the top again. And the kid with the eagerly outstretched hand…he is already talking and just about falling out of his seat from waving it.
Some days, it’s just a little bit of chaos.
God’s Word has so many examples of people whose lives are in chaos – men and women just like us who feel like they are spinning out of control. Yet many of these men and women still found joy and peace amidst the storms raging around them.
God lovingly and ever so carefully brings us through storms to grow us closer to Him. No gust of wind or wave can break over your ship without Him knowing and allowing it. No storm is faced on your own. In fact, He has already successfully faced every storm that you will ever come up against and is waiting to help you to do the same.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are,yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)
Dear friend, whatever you are facing…you are facing it with Christ right by your side. He is growing your faith by bringing you to the point where you can do nothing else but turn to Him. He wants you to get to know who He is.
In your storm, turn your gaze to whom your God is. Remind yourself of His promises. Cling to His character. Your chaos is not too much for Him to handle.
Peace, just like joy, is not a feeling that depends on circumstances. It’s a fruit that the Spirit grows in our lives as we get to know our God more and more. Run to Him – knowing Him is the true and only source of lasting peace!
Sometimes we convince ourselves that we need to get rid of all the stress in our lives. However, we'd be better off to realize that it's this tension that makes us productive. We of course need balance and to keep our gaze on Christ, but I think He uses the pressures of life to help us accomplish much for Him!
ReplyDeleteI also think that there needs to be a balance in life. So many times we get caught up doing non-essential tasks. This is something that I have had to work on. Pressure from meaningful situations makes us stronger, but the pressures from non-esseitial tasks often keep us from finishing required tasks.
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