Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1, ESV)Greetings, dear readers
As some of you know, my formal training as a school teacher begins tomorrow. You may wonder why I began my post with that Bible verse. Well, when I was considering what to write, this was the first verse that came to my mind that gives instructions or warnings for teachers. I think this verse is appropriate for secular teachers as well as religious teachers. All teachers have a great deal of responsibility in setting a good example to their students, besides disseminating knowledge about the world around them.
On Friday I attended the welcoming session for those graduates undertaking the Master of Teaching (Secondary) at the University of Melbourne. The staff have left us in no doubt about the task ahead of us, as we plunge head-long into a challenging year stuffed full of readings, assessments and teaching placements. Having not studied full-time for quite a while, I am looking forward to the coming weeks with excitement and dread. However, as I was doing a small tidy-up of my room (I'll need to get through it properly on Wednesday and Thursday!), I found an article that I had written in the booklet of my last church youth group camp. That was in 2007, to date the most exciting year of my life. My mind went on a stroll down memory lane as I read it through. I'll share here the article I wrote. The theme of the camp was FEAR NOT, and the title of my devotion entry was Godly Fear - The Type of Fear We Ought to Have:
Two of my favourite books in the Bible - Psalms and Proverbs - talk about godly fear in great detail. One verse that may be familiar to you comes from the first part of Psalm 111:10 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." This is repeated in the first part of Proverbs 9:10, so it must be very important! There are many other examples of the benefits of godly fear, including being blessed (Psalm 112:1), but I don't have space to list them all here. (I might try that in another post, hahaha!)Although this was written nearly four years ago, it still rings true for me today. I need to remember throughout this year to get into a habit of spending time with God and entrusting my daily concerns to Him. There's no doubt that the going this year will get VERY tough in patches, but the following years won't get any easier. But with each new challenge that arises, I can rest assured that God will be there to walk me through it.
So how does one put godly fear into practice? In my opinion, godly fear is first of all believing in your heart and then humbly acknowledging to God that He is loving, all-powerful and, above all, that He is sovereign, i.e. He is in full control, even when we don't think He is. In my life, I have seen that when I fear the Lord and commit my fears to Him, that He will help me overcome them. I still remember when computers were scary. Unlike most of you, I didn't have the privilege of growing up in an IT-savvy home, and while I could do the basic functions, beyond those I remember panicking whenever I pressed a key or mouse-clicked on something that I didn't know how to fix. It wasn't until I was provided with a laptop in Year 7 that I was able to play around and figure out the different functions. Now the only thing I fear about computers is if they crash!
Another fear I used to have was taking public transport. Before I started going to uni, I had only ever been on public transport once or twice, and never by myself. So I committed this fear to the Lord, and now taking public transport has become second nature to me. Nowadays I would say that my main fear is the future. I'm not surprised if it's the same for you. It's quite easy to get carried away worrying about career, status, family and environmental issues among other things. But I'm trusting God to see me through this fear, as long as I fear Him. Basically, I'm saying that when you truly fear God, you don't have to fear anything else!
Do YOU fear the Lord? If not, will you start to fear Him today?
I have briefly set out below how my week will look. I have registered to continue Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) and will see how I cope with the workload through the year. This year is a special year for BSF, because for the first time, they are including the book of Isaiah into the study cycle. Also, I intend to join Melbourne University Choral Society (MUCS) this year as my main extra-curricular activity. Singing is good for the soul, and it will provide me with a worthwhile diversion from my studies. This is what a typical study week will therefore look like:
Monday - Four lectures at uni from 9am to 3pm. Then BSF in the evening
Tuesday - My longest day. Four classes - one lecture, one seminar, one workshop, and one tutorial - starting at 9am and finishing at 6pm. Then church small group in the evening.
Wednesday - Two seminars, then MUCS rehearsal from 6.45pm to 9.30pm.
Thursday and Friday - My professional practice days (the official term used for "school placements"), which begin a few weeks after classes. I have a few Friday seminars throughout the year as well. I have yet to find out which schools I have been assigned to.
In light of all that I've said, please pray that God helps me manage and organize my time, as well as focus and be disciplined in my studies. I would greatly appreciate your prayers throughout the year. Believe me, they help A LOT! And of course, don't forget that I'm here to pray for you guys too.
Cheers and God bless
