by Graham Coyle
The art of being a Christian teacher is to become like the teacher who is the Divine Artist.
You may consider teaching an art, a craft, a skill, possibly even a science, but it is most definitely a vocation, a calling. If we are called by Jesus into something, we can anticipate a number of things coming with that calling. We grow in faith as we pursue our calling and learn to trust in His equipping, wisdom, strength, perseverance and joy. We also learn to trust in His purpose. Sadly, it is easy to lose sight of the Divine Artist’s divine purpose, as the values pursued by governments and education authorities across Europe are rarely in sympathy with the values of God’s Kingdom.
How can Christians in education operate with wisdom from Jesus to bring His Kingdom into their classrooms and schools? Recently, I’ve spent a lot of time in the book of Proverbs, here are some principles I’ve discovered there.
‘Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.’ (Proverbs 24:3-4 NKJV)
The order of priority here is first wisdom, then understanding, finally knowledge. I once taught a public examination course to teenagers which completely reversed the order. Knowledge was most highly valued, followed by understanding and wisdom did not feature at all. Many people can communicate facts and information, these can be gained from a course, a book, or a YouTube video. However, wisdom can only be taught by those who have it already, and true wisdom only comes from one source, the One who gives freely to those who single-mindedly pursue it as more precious than anything else.
I changed the order of priority in my course to reflect Proverbs 24 rather than the learning objectives of the government. By God’s grace my pupils consistently produced better results in that course than any other. This was not because I was a great teacher, I wasn’t, but the Divine Artist was.
‘When you speak healing words, you offer others fruit from the tree of life. But unhealthy, negative words do nothing but crush their hopes.’ (Proverbs 15:4 TPT)
The tree of life is an image throughout scripture which speaks of health and healing for individual lives, and for the nations. We all appreciate the value of speaking with love rather than harshness, but to understand that every time we speak with kindness and compassion rather than anger and frustration we offer ‘fruit from the tree of life’ is a very powerful idea.
Many children are already carrying wounds from the circumstances of their lives. Teachers following Jesus can speak healing words to them every day. Such words are transformative of individual lives, and of societies.
‘When wisdom speaks, revelation-knowledge is released (or scattered like seed).’ (Proverbs 15:7 TPT with footnote included.)
God reveals Himself through Creation, and so He can unveil truth through the school curriculum. Whatever the beliefs of a teacher, the wonder of life revealed in biology, or the beauty of art can be used by God to show Himself. More than that though, He shows Himself in ways which bypass our normal perceptions. We don’t encounter Him personally in salvation, for instance, without some kind of knowledge which goes beyond our heads into our hearts. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Christian teachers can continually be used by Him to sow these ‘seeds of revelation-knowledge’ through our actions, attitudes, words and of course, our prayers. When we add faith to these actions, we can trust they will produce an abundant harvest.
Teachers can often become overly focussed on what they are prevented from doing and lose sight of what they can do. I regularly used to walk around my empty classroom and pray for each pupil whilst standing by their chair, or I’d sit in the staff room and pray quietly for the teachers who were present. A bit of creativity and faith opens a door for Jesus to be active.
The European Educators’ Christian Association (EurECA) is part of the EEA and is an organisation committed to working with any Christian educator, in any setting, anywhere in Europe. We have annual conferences, training and online groups to connect educators for friendship, encouragement and prayer. Our next conference is in Tirana in May 2025. If you are a teacher or know a teacher who would appreciate finding out more about EurECA, contact us here.
Graham Coyle (UK) is the chairman of the board of EurECA – the European Educators’ Christian Association.
