Casandra Martin

It was just a silly name, but I was having trouble saying it. My four-year-old buddy was trying to be patient while I learned. He would say the name and wait for me to echo it back to him. Finally, I did it right. He got a surprised look on his face, announcing, “You said it right!” “Thanks!” I said. “You are a good teacher.”

That surprised him even more. A confused look clouded up his little eyes. “I’m not a teacher,” he said. “Sure you are. You teach me about God and Jesus every day.” It took a little convincing, but he finally captured the idea that he could be my teacher. He liked the thought enough to begin making plans to tell me the story of Daniel and the Lions’ Den.

Are you a teacher? The answer is yes. Every day you have the opportunity to show someone the heart of Jesus. Your neighbors watch your priorities. Your family sees how you handle joy and sorrow, failure and success. The clerk at the grocery store observes how you interact with those who are slow, sloppy, or selfish. Your coworkers look at your efforts and relationships and learn lessons about the living out the purpose of God in life.

You may not think of yourself as a teacher. You may not even want to be a teacher. But the truth is that every day you are teaching someone something. Our task is to be deliberate about the lessons we teach. You may be the only Bible somebody reads today. What will they remember about Jesus because of you?

My Jesus Resolution today is to make a lesson plan. I am going to be aware of the truth that each moment holds an opportunity to show Jesus to someone. It may be in the way I handle a struggle, a special moment, a sin, or a surprise. I want to make sure they learn something about Jesus as they watch me. Something about grace, about joy, about faithfulness, or about love. The reality is that I am a teacher. I resolve to be a teacher who points others to Jesus.