Top Ten Reasons to Walk With Me

Here is a little inspiration for dedicated teachers who occasionally wonder what they've gotten themselves into! Why do we walk in faith with kids?

• God calls us. “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut. 6:6-7). God’s plan for passing on the good news of salvation has always been to tell the story person to person, from generation to generation. You’re part of God’s grand plan!

• It’s what Jesus would do. Jesus picked out a small ragtag group of followers and taught them the Way. And they went out and did the same . . . and so on and so on. If each one reaches some and teaches some, the kingdom of God will spread on earth!

• The church needs you. In fact, the church needs all its members to do what God has gifted them to do, from stoking the furnace to preaching the Word. If you have been gifted with a love of children and an ability to communicate with them, the church needs you to do your job of ministering to its youngest members!

• The kids need you. Today’s kids have such busy, stimulating lives that there’s hardly room for God. Can God compete with exciting stuff like computer games and videos, basketball and marching band? But you know a secret: our God is so big, so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing our God cannot do. That’s your story, and you’re sticking to it. That’s the story kids need to hear.

• You need this experience. True, nobody said the job would be easy. Neither is backpacking around Europe or trekking in the Himalayas. Anyone who’s traveled, however, knows that such challenges broaden your horizons, strengthen your backbone, and create lifelong memories. The experience of teaching children enriches you in ways that you can’t imagine right now.

• Society needs you. “You are the salt of the world,” said Jesus to his followers. And what the world desperately needs right now is a generous sprinkling of salt to preserve what’s good and keep it from spoiling. God’s message of love and forgiveness is that kind of salt. The more Christians spread that message, the stronger and healthier our society will be.

• You’re part of a very big picture. One person being used by God can change the world . . . just think of godly leaders like Tony Campolo and Dwight Moody. A good Sunday school teacher led each one of them to the Lord, and they in turn taught thousands more. You may never know what a difference your words and love made, but God knows the big picture.

• To teach is to learn twice. Wondering if you’re really “spiritual” enough to teach others? God has a funny cure for that: if you want to grow spiritually, don’t run away from teaching, commit yourself to it. As you prepare your lessons and then speak of what you learned, God will do a number on you! You’re going to be blessed.

• Childhood is the teachable time. Tobacco companies know if they can get kids hooked on cigarettes early, there’s a huge chance they’ll stay hooked. Statistics for church use are similar. A study by Barna Research Institute shows that most decisions to follow Christ are made before age twelve. After age eighteen, there is only a 4 percent chance that a person will become a committed Christian. Childhood is the teachable time, and you have the privilege of being there!

• You are making a whole lot of new friends. The Sunday school coordinator/superintendent thinks you’re the best thing going because you serve. Parents love you because you’re showing an interest in their kids. The church appreciates you because you’re using your gifts. Kids you never knew before now grin and wave at you in church. And it can’t get a lot better than that!