Come On!
By Lexi Ellis
“Like newborn
infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into
salvation.”
1 Peter 2:2 (ESV)
There are moments in teaching that make you know it’s your
calling. And there are moments that make you want to tear your hair out! For
me, it’s occasionally when I’m grading. Sometimes my students miss silly things
or ignore their rubric or don’t check their work. My favorite is seeing the
“remember to put periods” reminder I had them write by the directions for their
complete sentences…and there isn’t a single period on the page. Those are the
moments I just sigh and say, “Eek, come
on! It’s right there!”
It makes me wonder: How often does God looks at my
work and say, “Eek, come on! You have everything right there! You have
my Word and you aren’t using it. You have my Spirit dwelling in you and you’re
not yielding to Him. You have Me - - the powerful God of the Universe - - who
wants to communicate through prayer and you’re not taking advantage of it!”
Perhaps the silly mistakes my fourth graders make are, in fact, the perfect
parallel to how often I live without allowing God to speak through His Word nor
His Spirit to guide, prompt and lead me.
I grew up singing “thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a
light unto my path,”[1]
in a home where my parents modeled Spirit-filled, serving lives and prayer. I
firmly believe in the power of those three things and their necessity for my
spiritual walk. Yet I often get caught up in my day - - my own to-do lists, my
own worries, my own accomplishments. Come
on!
I saw this quote on Pinterest recently. It doesn’t mention
an author, but it’s convicted me how much I focus on my own “stuff.” I often
let time in God’s Word, surrendering to His Spirit and prayer become a
when-I-feel-like-it. It read, “Have you
prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it?”[2]
I would add, “Have you spent time with Him - - in His Word and through prayer -
- and intentionally chosen to trust Him as much as you’ve talked, stressed and
cried about it?”
There are still moments while I’m grading papers when I say,
“Aww, come on!” But I’m thankful for the reminder that God’s Word, submitting
to His Spirit, and actively praying are essential to my faith journey. These
three things are imperative for my relationship with my God. Those are our
directions. And, like the directions on my students’ assignments, we know
them…they’re right there.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What changes do you need to make
to prioritize time in God’s Word, trusting His guiding Spirit, and prayer?
FURTHER READING:
[1]
Psalm 119:105
Lexi recently married Andrew, serves with Children’s Ministries at Oakwood, and is a fourth grade teacher at Lake Country Christian Academy.
