Every, single day it gets harder to be a Christian educator. This is a follow up to a post a few weeks ago. The theme of persecution is similar, but the content and perspective are a bit different. It is a good reminder worth repeating about the adversity which accompanies being a Christian in public education. Jesus had these words for his followers from John 15:
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
At some point, you are going to face persecution for doing what is right. In order to convict Jesus before Pilate and Herod, false accusations were made. Jesus was beaten. He was hung on a cross and publicly executed. If we are doing the will of God, then will face persecution. Billy Graham said:
The Bible clearly says that faithfulness and persecution often go hand and hand.
I want to speak clearly to prospective teachers, new teachers, veteran teachers, and admin. If you do your best to live a life which mirrors Jesus, your persecution will resemble what he faced. I just don’t want you to think you are alone in this. It ain’t easy. Now, sometimes trouble comes your way, because you are not following what Jesus taught. On the other hand, sometimes trouble comes your way, because you are obeying what the Bible teaches. Be sure to discern the different between the two types of trouble (persecution or self induced). If you are promoting data and the numbering of students’ capabilities and suffering because of it…you might be doing the wrong thing. On the other hand, if you are making disciples in His name according to Matthew 28…and then you are consequently experiencing trouble, then you know that Satan has found you as an enemy.
So, if you are experiencing persecution I wish I could tell you it gets easier. Not really. Once you are identified as a believer who will stand for the truth, you are a marked man. Be ready. Gird yourself, it’s coming. But remember that lights shine brightest in the darkness.
I have been reading this verse lately. Maybe it will speak to you as well. Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still….that sank deep into my heart. God is not a benign witness to the persecution of his people. He does not forget. He offers us this promise from Psalm 37:
I believe Psalm 37. As believers we are not victims. If we persevere, we will see a harvest in His name. We are his children, and he will be a shield for us.
Finally, as I mentioned yesterday I will share some music that we listen to. This is the Lord’s Prayer sung by Matt Maher. We sing it at our church. I think God’s word (found in the Bible!) offers us protection. I don’t know how that works, but it does.
Pro Tip: God sees people. He wants us to invest in people. He doesn’t want us to invest in numbers. When we look at our school system budgets, do we see investment in people or do we see investment in something else?
