Growing up, I was thrilled over summertime. Long bike rides with friends, wonderful weeks with Grandma and Grandpa, adventures in the woods, and pool time with cousins. I loved those lazy, hazy summer days. As mid-to-late August rolled around, I would anticipate going back to school. Truth be told, I was full of big-time enthusiasm. Why?
My Love for Going Back to School
I loved the prospect of seeing long-time friends and making new friends. I was fascinated to meet new teachers plus see old ones. I loved receiving new books. I loved the brick school buildings, chalk-dust smell of classrooms, chain-clanging swings on playgrounds, clackety auditorium seats, and the fresh-eraser smell of a pencil box. Sincerely, I loved learning, stretching myself with new insights, and growing in academic skills.
Notice I did not include the principal’s office in my list of loves. (Yes, I did land there once or twice.) I’ll own it: I am a geek. Perhaps you’re saying, “After that litany of loves, no need to state the obvious.”
God’s Love for Students, Teachers, and Others
Certainly, back to school time is not the most thrilling event for everyone. Whether you are a student, teacher, administrator, or other school district worker, education can feel daunting no matter the role.
With today’s reflections, I hope you feel some love. In extra-special ways, I hope you sense significant love and support that flows from God—not just today but all through the school year. Contemplate this reality: God loves us learning, growing, and influencing others. We each have a vital role to play this school year. Trust him to bless you in your new adventures!
Maybe you say, “That’s quite the bold claim. How do you know that God loves like this and delights to bless us?” Consider two big reasons you can trust him and experience God’s back-to-school blessing.
Reason #1: God himself is the ultimate creative, the best educator ever!
In his original creative work (Gen. 1), he employed original language, compelling craftsmanship, exquisite skill, and an overflow of foundational knowledge. Again and again in Genesis 1 we read, “Then God said . . . and God made . . . and God created.”
A wondrous weave of words and colorful skill are employed by the Creator-Teacher. It’s like we are envisioning the ultimate setting for a divine classroom. In Psalm 19:1-2, we catch the stunning results in God’s school:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
Biblical lines like these intersect virtually every educational discipline, from science and math to language and writing, a host of trades, and so much more.
Don’t skip over the LORD’s culminating connection with humans in his creative classroom: “God blessed them . . .” (Gen. 1:28). We can trust him to give us his marvelous insights, inspiration, creativity, and special enablement.
Still today, the one who originally designed and crafted with foundational knowledge loves to pour out knowledge and strengthen our everyday capacity to teach, learn, and influence. We can look to him and trust him. How do we know God loves us learning, growing, and influencing others?
Reason #2: Jesus urges us to love God and others with all we are and all we have—including our hearts, souls, and minds!
Jesus was asked a big question by a provocative religious leader in Matthew 22:36-40:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus was echoing centuries-old instruction from the Jewish Torah (Deut. 6:4-9; Lev. 19:18). Christ very intentionally includes our hearts, souls, and minds. In Teacher Jesus’ view, it’s all integrated.
Have you pondered how your learning, teaching, and growing this school year can actually be a dominant, daily expression of your love for God and others? How are you planning to integrate your faith and daily educational engagement this school year? How will your mental work demonstrate your devotion, worship, and adoration of God? According to Jesus, all these dynamic facets can blend together in loving expressions.
Deeply consider such questions as we head into the school year. As you reflect, your intentionality, creativity, and integration can increase.
Loving Everyday Integration
Educational work can feel so bleak. It can be riddled with systemic issues, insufficient compensation, and sky-high expectations with an always-moving goalpost. Academic realms can feel overwhelming. Rachel Jorgensen winsomely explains why she keeps teaching.
My head and my heart are engaged every day . . . I’m grateful for the ways my students constantly challenge both my head and my heart . . . Teaching is ultimately an act of hope. Every time I teach a lesson, I hope it will inspire learning. Every time I intervene with a struggling student, I hope it will change the trajectory of their path. Every time I communicate with a parent, I hope it will improve the situation for the student. The temptation to fall into cynicism is alive and well in education. However, hope is a choice I make every day.
As we trust our loving Lord, he pours out blessings for resilience in both teaching and learning. The Divine Teacher has been doing this throughout history, affecting movers and shakers in all the academic disciplines.
Educators, students, and other school workers, be confident in the Lord’s love this school year. Set your hope on his unique blessing—ongoing wisdom and joyous creativity.
