Habits make the person

Charles Spurgeon
The most important daily habit we can possess is to remind ourselves of the gospel.

I believe that what we do shapes who we become. I want the habits that I live have become some of the words that now define my character. Becoming excellent at anything is a result of cultivating the seemingly small things every day. Those daily habits create the things we accomplish in the moment.

Here are a few I hope I built as a teacher of God’s Word. I know some have not been kept as I no longer have the privilege of teaching.

The habit of preparing well for class communicates a person who gives their best to serving  students well. A teacher’s study flows out of a heart of sincerity for those one has been called to teach.

This speaks to another habit that exemplifies the habit of care. The best teachers make time for their students; they listen and serve well. Love is a four-letter word spelled T-I-M-E and a good teacher cultivates the habit of loving others by making time for them. Over the years since Jim breathed in heaven yoI have thought about the students he made feel seen and remembered. I often think of and pray for those God allowed me to teach.

The habit of prayer is a corollary to the habit of love and I have seen reality evidenced in the demeanor and countenance of those who have taught me with this habit of carrying others to the throne of grace.

Probably one of the greatest things I learned from those with the gift of teaching is the graceful way they have sharpened the axe of their own learning. A habit of holding humble kindness and biblical truth in balance makes a person of integrity. In a space that is not always been open or safe these educators stand for their convictions, read those who both agree and disagree theologically, and continuously research, relentlessly study, and carefully champion certain doctrines, in light of the One who is Truth. I am grateful for the way such teachers speak up for those of us who are not always heard.

I am grateful for the habits of those who practice the habit of godliness overtly. We can all think of lessons that have impacted us and even changed our lives, but the everyday habits that create a life where words match the person who says them and makes much of Jesus is the most powerful teacher of all.  So  I will always hope that such habits show a person who loves God’s Word, who teaches it with humility and kindness and who makes much of Jesus by bringing out the best in others.