Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13, NIV

One day during chorus class, I overheard one of my students criticizing me and the student singing a solo. I quickly responded by yelling at her and sending her back to her classroom.

Who did she think she was?

I was under a lot of stress. I felt like I didn’t have a minute to spare. The concert was two weeks away, and I had small groups, dancers, and soloists that still needed preparation.

But as I put the chairs away after class that day, I began to have an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Did I do the right thing? Did this student deserve my reaction? The Spirit of God was heavy upon me. And I knew that my actions and intentions might have been appropriate, but my manner and tone of voice were not.

I also knew that I would have to wait a week until the next class to make it right because I had sinned in front of 75 children, and all 75 children knew it!

The following week, I began class by publicly apologizing to the student, not because she didn’t deserve punishment, but because it wasn’t right for me to have lost my temper. To my surprise, the entire class erupted in applause. I was humbled but also relieved because I knew that the Lord was pleased with my confession.

When you sin in front of your students, do you have the humility to confess and repent? Are you willing to admit to your downfalls and show your students that you aren’t perfect either?

It’s not easy. But if you do, your students will learn a valuable lesson, and they will see Christ in you.

God, I am grateful that You forgive me and give me the grace to apologize in public when I need to. Thank You. Amen

Copyright Shirley Wilson.

Shirley is a retired member and former board member of Christian Educators.