Missionaries are considered as full-time worker in the ministry to the world.
Pastors are considered as full-time worker in the ministry of churches.
Scripture Union staffs are full-time worker in various ministries.
Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) staffs are considered as full-time worker in the ministries among students.
Staffs from a few other non-profit organizations (NGO) are considered as full-time worker.
So, what does "full-time worker" means ? Literally it means, someone who work all the time. In the context of Christianity, it means someone who work all the time for God in areas we called the ministry.
Why are not Christian teachers considered as full-time worker as well ?
Can Christian teachers be considered as full-time worker as well ?
Christians leaders are always calling us to answer the call into full-time ministry. What is this full-time ministry ? Do I need to give up my current job and go into some job that is called "full-time ministry"? Is not my job now a "full-time ministry" as well ?
I always believe that my job as a teacher is a full-time ministry. Christian teachers should be considered as full-time worker provided they are doing the ministry of God and not because teaching is the only job that they could find especially during this economy downturn in the world.
Let me share with you how teaching is a full-time ministry for me and also should be for all teachers who called themselves Christian.
1. There is a need. Heard the call. Answered the call.
Teachers are not favourites among the societies. Everyone seems to be eyeing for something greater in life, something they can show to the world. Few really want and desire to be a teacher. Few take it as their 1st choice of ambitions. Many ended up becoming teachers after they found out that it is not easy to find for jobs in the world of today.
Christian teachers are few to find in school nowadays. Christians do not see the lives they can impact in the schools. As human, we sometimes got so caught up with the race of life that we do not see the needs in our surrounding. We send our children to school and hope the education system will do the rest for them. We failed to see what values are our children learning in the school system of today.
God opens my eyes and ears to see and hear the need for more Christian teachers in the midst of the Malaysian education system, in the schools that we will be able to bring impact in the lives of children and youth of today. What more in the area of Special Education ? For my life of almost 29 years, I have not personally meet any Christian teachers who are in this ministry. Either the number is so few that the kebarangkalian to meet is little or I am so caught up with my own life.
When He fixed my eyes 1st time on this "Pendidikan Khas"....I knew right away, there is where He wants me to go. Right away I filled my form, Pilihan Pertama : Pendidikan Khas and without any doubt and having full faith that I will surely get my 1st choice.
He showed, He called and He said, "Write". I saw, I heard and I write.
2. All for Him, for His glory, for His people.
Everyone has a purpose in their job. Everyone wants to achieve something. Everyone has things to prove about themselves. Working in a ministry that is in the secular world can bring so much temptations. The world runs and I seems to be wanting to run along, the world is chasing after wealth and fame and I want to follow their chase, the world is moving towards the opposite direction of life and I am tempted to move along, the world going towards doom and if I am not aware, I might be drifted into a world of doom.
As for me, job may seems demanding, stressful and sometimes beyond what I should be doing but keeping in mind that life is not about living for people, not for myself but for God. We can do so much in life, we can achieve so much in life, we can earn millions in life, we can have everything in life but in the end, we know that everything we have is back to zero, back to nothing. In the end of the day, it is us, we, our ownself that we will give back to our Saviour.
Everything work and responsibility that is given to me, I do it not to gain popularity, not to earn praises, not to please my authorities, not seen as a burden but all I do, I do it for my Lord, it is all for Him and for the sake of all the people He loves that He may receive all the glory and praises.
In Colossians 3:23 said, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for men."
It is easier said than done you might say. So, don't say it, just do it. Learn to focus on God and get our attitude right and we will be off serving God rather than serving men.
3. Our school, our mission field.
All the "full-time staff" has their own mission field. For some, it is in another country, for some it is in an area, for some it is in university, for some in certain town or place. As for us, teachers, our mission field is obviously the school. As soon as we are in the school compound, that is where our mission starts.
Just like a missionaries, they work among the people of the world, from all walks of life, religious background and ethnics. They have to go through what the world is going through. It is considered one of the best ways in reaching out to more people because they are living in the world. That is how they reach out to the world.
Like them, we Christian teachers work in a school where it is populated with colleagues, non-teaching staffs, school cleaners, school guards, parents and students which comes for all walks of life as well, different religious backgrounds, different beliefs and ethnics. We go through what everyone has to go through, from teaching to handling countless paper works. We live and work with everyone and the only difference is we are Christian teachers. We are in the school, not only to teach, finish paper works, conduct various activities, mark books and exam papers etc but our main purpose is to be used by God to touch the lives of the many in school that everyone might know this God of love.
4. Comfort zone turn God's zone.
Since childhood, no one ever dream of worse in life, no one ever dream of stopping at a point of life where everyone thinks that point is just the beginning of it. People dream of a better life (even though life is already so good for them), people dream of achieving higher dreams and achieving greater heights, people dream and dream what is above and beyond the situation and life they are in now.
Personally, I could dream of working in a place or job that will offer me even higher pay that what I am getting now, I could dream of working in a place where all my friends and family are, I could dream of aiming higher in my education background, I could dream of being more thrifty and saving more money that I could afford and own something greater than what I am having now, I could dream on going for holidays in overseas, I could dream on having the whole weekend to myself...sleep late, wake up late, watch movies, goes shopping, just laze around but these are just dreams that I never dreamt of because there are greater dreams that I could dream and hope and do that will bring greater effect in the lives of others rather than my ownself.
I choose a job as a teacher although the pay does not allowed me to spend luxuriously but compared with many others in the world, I am contented. I chose Sarawak as my 1st choice of posting eventhough it is miles away from my known friends and family and admitted that the choice was actually His choice for me for many reasons. I choose experience rather than master degree and pHD, knowing that I can do so much for God and for my students in those years if I ever choose to futher my studies. I choose to spend and invest some money in the lives of my students for the things that will take months and years to be approved....provided it is approved. I choose to go back home during my holidays and only travels within Malaysia, knowing that Malaysia is my home and it is a land of many beauties. I choose to make myself busy during the weekends that the girls from the Girls Brigade and children from Pusat Injil Methodist Tudan could sing praises to God, so that they could learn more about God and bring a difference to the next generations.
All done for the glory of God who has done more for us.
Why aren't Christian teachers a full-time worker ? We are a full-time worker, we are missionaries just like the rest with school as our mission field. Working and serving God and His people that we might give Him the glory and that people might come to know His love He has for each and everyone of them.
Let us take the challenge God has given us to live and work as a full-time Christian teacher who are wiling to be used by God to bring chances in the world rather than just be a teacher who happens to be a Christian.
Pastors are considered as full-time worker in the ministry of churches.
Scripture Union staffs are full-time worker in various ministries.
Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) staffs are considered as full-time worker in the ministries among students.
Staffs from a few other non-profit organizations (NGO) are considered as full-time worker.
So, what does "full-time worker" means ? Literally it means, someone who work all the time. In the context of Christianity, it means someone who work all the time for God in areas we called the ministry.
Why are not Christian teachers considered as full-time worker as well ?
Can Christian teachers be considered as full-time worker as well ?
Christians leaders are always calling us to answer the call into full-time ministry. What is this full-time ministry ? Do I need to give up my current job and go into some job that is called "full-time ministry"? Is not my job now a "full-time ministry" as well ?
I always believe that my job as a teacher is a full-time ministry. Christian teachers should be considered as full-time worker provided they are doing the ministry of God and not because teaching is the only job that they could find especially during this economy downturn in the world.
Let me share with you how teaching is a full-time ministry for me and also should be for all teachers who called themselves Christian.
1. There is a need. Heard the call. Answered the call.
Teachers are not favourites among the societies. Everyone seems to be eyeing for something greater in life, something they can show to the world. Few really want and desire to be a teacher. Few take it as their 1st choice of ambitions. Many ended up becoming teachers after they found out that it is not easy to find for jobs in the world of today.
Christian teachers are few to find in school nowadays. Christians do not see the lives they can impact in the schools. As human, we sometimes got so caught up with the race of life that we do not see the needs in our surrounding. We send our children to school and hope the education system will do the rest for them. We failed to see what values are our children learning in the school system of today.
God opens my eyes and ears to see and hear the need for more Christian teachers in the midst of the Malaysian education system, in the schools that we will be able to bring impact in the lives of children and youth of today. What more in the area of Special Education ? For my life of almost 29 years, I have not personally meet any Christian teachers who are in this ministry. Either the number is so few that the kebarangkalian to meet is little or I am so caught up with my own life.
When He fixed my eyes 1st time on this "Pendidikan Khas"....I knew right away, there is where He wants me to go. Right away I filled my form, Pilihan Pertama : Pendidikan Khas and without any doubt and having full faith that I will surely get my 1st choice.
He showed, He called and He said, "Write". I saw, I heard and I write.
2. All for Him, for His glory, for His people.
Everyone has a purpose in their job. Everyone wants to achieve something. Everyone has things to prove about themselves. Working in a ministry that is in the secular world can bring so much temptations. The world runs and I seems to be wanting to run along, the world is chasing after wealth and fame and I want to follow their chase, the world is moving towards the opposite direction of life and I am tempted to move along, the world going towards doom and if I am not aware, I might be drifted into a world of doom.
As for me, job may seems demanding, stressful and sometimes beyond what I should be doing but keeping in mind that life is not about living for people, not for myself but for God. We can do so much in life, we can achieve so much in life, we can earn millions in life, we can have everything in life but in the end, we know that everything we have is back to zero, back to nothing. In the end of the day, it is us, we, our ownself that we will give back to our Saviour.
Everything work and responsibility that is given to me, I do it not to gain popularity, not to earn praises, not to please my authorities, not seen as a burden but all I do, I do it for my Lord, it is all for Him and for the sake of all the people He loves that He may receive all the glory and praises.
In Colossians 3:23 said, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for men."
It is easier said than done you might say. So, don't say it, just do it. Learn to focus on God and get our attitude right and we will be off serving God rather than serving men.
3. Our school, our mission field.
All the "full-time staff" has their own mission field. For some, it is in another country, for some it is in an area, for some it is in university, for some in certain town or place. As for us, teachers, our mission field is obviously the school. As soon as we are in the school compound, that is where our mission starts.
Just like a missionaries, they work among the people of the world, from all walks of life, religious background and ethnics. They have to go through what the world is going through. It is considered one of the best ways in reaching out to more people because they are living in the world. That is how they reach out to the world.
Like them, we Christian teachers work in a school where it is populated with colleagues, non-teaching staffs, school cleaners, school guards, parents and students which comes for all walks of life as well, different religious backgrounds, different beliefs and ethnics. We go through what everyone has to go through, from teaching to handling countless paper works. We live and work with everyone and the only difference is we are Christian teachers. We are in the school, not only to teach, finish paper works, conduct various activities, mark books and exam papers etc but our main purpose is to be used by God to touch the lives of the many in school that everyone might know this God of love.
4. Comfort zone turn God's zone.
Since childhood, no one ever dream of worse in life, no one ever dream of stopping at a point of life where everyone thinks that point is just the beginning of it. People dream of a better life (even though life is already so good for them), people dream of achieving higher dreams and achieving greater heights, people dream and dream what is above and beyond the situation and life they are in now.
Personally, I could dream of working in a place or job that will offer me even higher pay that what I am getting now, I could dream of working in a place where all my friends and family are, I could dream of aiming higher in my education background, I could dream of being more thrifty and saving more money that I could afford and own something greater than what I am having now, I could dream on going for holidays in overseas, I could dream on having the whole weekend to myself...sleep late, wake up late, watch movies, goes shopping, just laze around but these are just dreams that I never dreamt of because there are greater dreams that I could dream and hope and do that will bring greater effect in the lives of others rather than my ownself.
I choose a job as a teacher although the pay does not allowed me to spend luxuriously but compared with many others in the world, I am contented. I chose Sarawak as my 1st choice of posting eventhough it is miles away from my known friends and family and admitted that the choice was actually His choice for me for many reasons. I choose experience rather than master degree and pHD, knowing that I can do so much for God and for my students in those years if I ever choose to futher my studies. I choose to spend and invest some money in the lives of my students for the things that will take months and years to be approved....provided it is approved. I choose to go back home during my holidays and only travels within Malaysia, knowing that Malaysia is my home and it is a land of many beauties. I choose to make myself busy during the weekends that the girls from the Girls Brigade and children from Pusat Injil Methodist Tudan could sing praises to God, so that they could learn more about God and bring a difference to the next generations.
All done for the glory of God who has done more for us.
Why aren't Christian teachers a full-time worker ? We are a full-time worker, we are missionaries just like the rest with school as our mission field. Working and serving God and His people that we might give Him the glory and that people might come to know His love He has for each and everyone of them.
Let us take the challenge God has given us to live and work as a full-time Christian teacher who are wiling to be used by God to bring chances in the world rather than just be a teacher who happens to be a Christian.
3 comments:
I worked 34 years as a teacher and I have the same questions as you. Perhaps it is because we earn a salary from the government and we do not attend an annual convention to present our Christian work to the Bishop we are not certified Christ's missionaries.
When we pass on our Christian values in our Classrooms God will chalk the number of times we do....I just hope that this is the way we communicate with our students. No trumpets. No drums.
Always remember that as Christian teachers we are different and we always try to make a difference.
We will have to suffer the whips and the tauntings. We will have many crosses to bear. And like Jesus we have to walk down the Jerusalem road and be in the wilderness to the best of our abilities.
God's grace is bountiful.
Thanks for leaving a note at my blog. Get to know another fren who blogs and writes great stuff.
Indeed Christian teachers are missionary...
sarawakiana : Thanks for your sharing and encouragement as I'll be having a long way to go in this mission. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Evelyn : =) Thanks for visiting. Enjoy more writings to come. Hehe
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