A Heart for God

One of my first assignments as a teacher was to teach computers to a group of PreK students. There were approximately 2 classes of 20 kids each. Now I consider myself a pretty stable personality, taking each thing in my day with a positive attitude and belief that I can make a difference, yet the thought of teaching over 40 Pre-K students settled fear down deep in my soul!

I can fix cars, hike for miles, cook a pretty tasty meal, and even wrestle a polecat if it came to that, but teaching Pre-K students scared me to death. Just the thought of it caused my jaw to lock up and resulted in sleepless nights. Though it was midwinter, I was sweating like I was standing in Death Valley in July! Even though our family consisted of 4 little girls and a little boy at the time (you would think little kids wouldn’t phase me), I can remember few things in my life that have caused anxiety like the thought of teaching Pre-K kids.

Well….don’t you love them you may ask? Of course I do, one or two at a time, but when they come at you like ants from an ant hill … well …..I was walking in fear. You see, I was writing my future (a really bad idea) and the last chapter of my book had a tragic ending; chaos and inadequacy. I had to check my heart. God called me to Christian education and I had to dig deep to understand why.

I started asking him lots of questions. “God, are you sure you want me to teach Pre-K kids?” “God, this is an overwhelming task. I can’t do it. Can I do something else?” "God, what happens when they all have me tied up in the middle of the computer lab and begin to set fire to the keyboards?” You can imagine where my imagination took me.

I quickly learned that fear breeds a future of mistrust and ignorance. It grabs your heart and twists it into alternate and contrived realities that fuel a downward spiral of thoughts and actions. And that is where we need to start our battle; our hearts. You see God did not design us to cower under a rock and fear what comes into our lives, rather, he designed us to be in fellowship with him, to trust him and to courageously live in this world. And that in the power and authority given us as heirs to the Kingdom of God through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God wants your heart, not some of it but all of it. He wants you to stand in the gap for righteousness and not fear what may come your way, rather transform it through the power of the resurrection! As you surrender your heart to the Living God, you walk as light on this earth; ambassadors of the Most High. The words you speak from a heart in submission are as if Christ himself were speaking them. You are royalty, representing the King.

When those little ones came into my classroom my heart melted, all fear was gone. I settled them in front of their computers and began to gently instruct them. One little girl said to me, “Mr. Dare, I can’t make the mouse work.” I came to her aid, laying my big ole grizzly bear hand on top of hers, and began moving the mouse, and her hand, showing her how to left click and right click to get the proper results. When she tensed a little out of frustration, I said these very words, “Honey, now watch how daddy does it.”

It took me awhile to realize what I had said. My heart was overwhelmed with compassion for those kids and I instinctively steered them in the right direction out of love and a desire to see them succeed. I no longer feared those Pre-K classes. In fact, they became my favorite classes of all times. They needed help, they wanted help, they expressed their need, and I respond.

That is your Father in heaven. He loves you beyond any understanding. He wants the very best for you and he is more than able to instruct you and provide you with whatever you need. There is simply one thing you must do to receive his salvation, that is to say yes. To tell him you need him and you need his help. To articulate that you are too weak to walk in your own strength, and he will respond...in spades. He will put his gentle hand on you and say, “Dear one, watch how daddy does it. I have you, and I love you.” His perfect love will cast out all fear. Praise be to the God and King of heaven and earth, Jesus Christ.

Shannon