Service

“He pushed me! She cut in front of me! I was here first! Hey, that’s not fair!” It never fails. Lining up to go anywhere is one of the major issues of each day. Each one of my students wants to be first in line for all the glory and extra credit points gained because of that position (insert sarcasm, there are none given for the attainment of such lofty achievements).

“He pushed me! She cut in front of me! I was here first! Hey, that’s not fair!” It never fails. Lining up to go anywhere is one of the major issues of each day. Each one of my students wants to be first in line for all the glory and extra credit points gained because of that position (insert sarcasm, there are none given for the attainment of such lofty achievements). I’ve noticed they are willing to push, kick, shove, pinch, hurl themselves over chairs, duck under desks, crawl between legs and contort their bodies into a myriad of positions to be crowned with the all-important title of, “First in Line.” Every one of them loves to lead, to be the boss, to call the shots, to tell others what to do. I found this daily ritual mildly annoying until I realized that there was nothing wrong with wanting to lead, as long as it was true leadership, which in God’s economy, means service.
Jesus taught his disciples, who were constantly jockeying for position (not unlike 3rd graders), that he who was the leader was actually the servant and slave of everyone. Instead of sitting atop the pyramid, Christ-like leaders were told that they had to go to the bottom to be effective. However, Christ didn’t just tell them this truth; He modeled it and then gave them the opportunity to live it out. The 12 were given the task of preaching, teaching, casting out demons, feeding the 4,000 and the 5,000, and later leading the church and taking the gospel to the nations. Jesus empowered them by His spirit to go and do wonderful things for His name, and as disciplers of children, we must follow Jesus’ model.
This task is quite daunting, especially when I consider all of the imperfect ways in which I serve them. Yet, I’m comforted by the fact that if God can take some crackers and sardines and feed thousands, then He can multiply even my efforts to have an impact for good on His beloved children. I wish I could say that I’ve found a foolproof solution to the lineup leadership race, but I haven’t. Fortunately, God has shown me a way to take advantage of their desire to lead. In my classroom I have helpers for everything. These students pass out papers, go to the office, collect papers, change the date, help other students, file papers, and even help me create solution to classroom problems. At this age especially, they are eager to help, and are experiencing the joys of service. I’m often amazed how bad they actually want to serve, and I hope to encourage them to continue that positive attitude towards doing things for others. In all honesty, it helps me out a great deal in the classroom, and really gives them the feeling that they’ve accomplished something. I hope that in a small way they are learning how to be real leaders through their job responsibilities and through my example.