This carved rock has sat on the desk of my home office for a number of years. It’s a constant reminder not to limit God and His infinite potential. Mark 10:27: “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
There is so much potential in every living being created by our Lord. Like the extensive variety of rocks that exist, each person is uniquely created with a vast assortment of gifts and talents.
Take a look at your characteristics, or those of your students.
Are you like soapstone, a very soft type of rock that is often carved into sculptures or useful items like bowls or other utensils? Isaiah 64:8: “We are the clay, you are the potter.” On the surface you are quiet and moldable, flexible, and adapt easily to change. However, once shaped by God’s Word, you hold strong to the plan He has set for you. Notice the student in your class that isn’t the first to raise their hand or doesn’t volunteer to read aloud, but holds to God’s teachings. Help them to know that you value their quiet reserve and steadfast determination to follow Jesus.
Maybe you are more like shale, having many layers and often found near valuable deposits of oil and natural gas. How rich you are in God’s kingdom! You serve the Lord on many levels. However, your most precious asset is your eagerness to unashamedly teach the love of Jesus and spread the Gospel message to all children with whom you have contact. Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then the Gentile.” Which of your students is able to honestly tell the story of Jesus’ love for them? Continue to encourage them to hold the Gospel dear and recognize its precious gift as they tell others of it power.
Are you the granite type, strong, used as a building material because it can weather most any storm or force of nature? You are bold in your expression of God’s teachings, steadfast and unshakeable! You are often the person approached when a program or concept needs to be built. You are the strong foundation on which others rely. The encourager. “On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand” (LSB #575). Observe the student who confidently speaks God’s truth in love to others without reservation, but in humble reference. Help build them up to be future leaders of our church-at-large.
No matter which rock formation you may resemble, be assured that God is using your potential mightily to build, uphold, and enlarge His kingdom here on earth. As you touch the lives of students, watch them become God’s new building material for future generations.
Photo (c) Ryan Klintworth/Lightstock
