I think I just hit on something. Lately I've been getting so frustrated with my students because they don't care about Bible studies or quiet times or even prayer and talks. My first inclination is to look at myself, which isn't necessarily bad, but I don't think my delivery is so horrible as to turn people off. And as I try more and more to "hide behind the Bible", I can't say the material is to blame.
I think it's just that some of them flat out aren't interested. And there isn't a whole lot I can do. The Great Commission was about preaching the Gospel and making disciples. That's my job. Not entertaining teenagers so they'll think I'm cool and laugh.
My frustrations are coming from the fact that I don't like the idea of just planting seeds. I want immediate results. I want bratty, selfish students to all of a sudden become student leaders and prayer warriors. But that's not the way it happens. At least, that's not the expectation I need to have every time we talk. It's not my job to change their lives. That's the Spirit's job. I can't make them want to be better Christians. I can only sow the seeds of Truth.
Gardening means a lot of time in the sun, kneeling over harsh ground, and watering it regularly. Gardening requires patience and hope and trust that the seed will grow because that's what seeds do when well tended.
Ultimately, it's not about me. Why do I have to keep getting over myself so often?
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