Read Hebrews 13:7-25
“And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with sacrifices God is pleased.” ~ Heb 13:16. So God is pleased with sacrifice huh? It says so right in the Bible. In fact, He wants us to be joyful in that sacrifice. Sometimes it is hard to connect joy with sacrifice in the teaching world but it is how we meet the expectations and standards that God has created for us as his followers. When I think of someone who sets this example to follow, not surprisingly, the person who comes to mind is Mother Teresa. Everyone knows her story. A woman committed to serving the poorest of the poor in the streets of Calcutta. And most of us take that with a grain of salt. Think for just a moment about her sacrifice. Mother Teresa was born in Kosovo to a family with some political connection. She likely could have chosen from several different, more comfortable options. Perhaps should could have been the wife of a foreign dignitary or successful businessman. She could have done charity work from that position just the same. Instead she chose to sacrifice those comfortable possibilities for her world changing work in Calcutta…and she did with it joy!
Obviously we are not all called to do what Mother Teresa did. In fact, our calling seems to be in education. So the theme of sacrifice carries on. In order to be a servant of God, we must sacrifice. Teachers are aware of the sacrifice we make but I think sometimes we forget to be cheerful in those sacrifices. Let’s try to remember to be joyful even when we feel like being grumpy. Think of the sacrifice of the many other people in the world who came before us in various work. Be thankful that they chose to sacrifice and be joyful. Everyone around us takes note of our actions and reacts accordingly. Meet the expectations, I dare you. Be cheerful in your sacrifice and pay attention to what happens to the people you interact with on a daily basis. You may be surprised how infectious your action can be to others.
Pray: Lord, I know that I am responsible for a huge role as a teacher. You know my sacrifices. Help me be an example of joyful sacrifice to people around me that they may see you in me. Inspire me to give my students and family my best. Help me to guide them in a direction that both helps them be better adults and leads them to your grace. Amen.
