“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Luke 6:41, NIV

We all have bad days and we all make mistakes. It’s hard to let go of your mistakes sometimes, even when God already has. It’s even harder when you think people are talking about it or looking at you. The devil gets into our minds and says things like: “You’re not good enough”, “They don’t like you,” “You are a failure,” or “You’re annoying.”

Think about a time when you made a mistake and how you felt. You were probably embarrassed, it probably made you have a bad day, and it probably affected your emotions. Now, imagine someone came up and scolded you when you were already upset about it.

As teachers, if we’re having a hard time with a student, we are often quick to run to our teacher friends and say, “They’re acting up again,” “I can’t handle them today,” or “Can you believe they did this?” We may approach that student and scold them, send them to the office, or punish them in some other way even though they were already punishing themselves.

Today, I want to remind you that your students are human too, and God loves them and has a plan for them just like He does for you. He created these students in HIS image. He loves them just as much as He loves you. He has a plan for them too.

Dear God, help us show our students Your love, even when they are hard to love. When these students feel like they have no one else, help them see that they have You. Help us shine our lights even brighter in the darkest moments with them. Help us remember that teaching is our mission field and we are called to reach the lost and the broken. Help us love them like You do. Amen.

Copyright Sydney Jordan.

Sydney is a member and a kindergarten teacher in Kentucky.