Ignoring God - Martin Wiles

I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, “Don’t bother me.” You have been that way since childhood—you simply will not obey me! Jeremiah 22:21 NLT

Our challenge seemed simple, but proved more difficult than we imagined.

The final day of school is always a half day. Following breakfast, teachers and students head off to the gym, where eligible students receive various awards. Typically, this had been followed by two hours of dead time. But one year, we teachers decided to show a movie. As a Christian school, we are required to show only G-rated movies unless we have parental approval.

Our lead teacher picked Star Wars, thinking that none of the students would have seen the original and that it would interest them. She was correct on the first count but miserably wrong on the second. What we teachers hoped would be a relaxing time turned into a scene more challenging than the classroom.

Jeremiah, known as the “weeping prophet,” was also given a daunting challenge: deliver a message to God’s people, warning them of coming destruction by a foreign force (Jeremiah 22:21). A destruction they had brought on themselves by ignoring God, just as most of our students ignored the movie.

Most of the students ignored the movie because they had no interest in it. Since it was space-related and showed examples of techy stuff, we assumed they’d love it. The trouble was that our world has advanced so far since the movie’s production that the production itself was now dated. Without God’s intervention, we’ll respond to God the same way the students did to the movie. While we’re born with spiritual interest, we’ll ignore God because of our sinful nature unless we listen to the Spirit of God pulling us in the right direction.

As a believer, I’ve ignored God numerous times because I had my mind on other things. Had we shown the movie earlier in the year, the students might have watched. This was the last day of school, and they were moments away from the final bell and summer vacation. Unless we allow God to keep our minds on spiritual things, we’ll also find ourselves ignoring God.

Initially, a few students were interested in the movie but were eventually distracted by classmates who weren’t. I, too, have been led away from God by others. Going was my choice, but letting them influence me was also my choice.

Don’t let things or people lead you to a place where you are ignoring God. Doing so always has devastating effects.

Father, may I always give you my full attention so I can accomplish Your perfect plan. 

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Rehearsing God’s Word - Martin Wiles

Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:7 NLT

Rehearsed materials tend to stay around longer. For the final two weeks of school, I required my middle school language arts students to rehearse what they had learned during the year. The final exam would cover the entire book, so I wanted to ensure they remembered all the concepts. As we encountered new ideas along the way, I reminded them of concepts we had already learned. By rehearsing material from previous chapters, they had a better chance of transferring that material from their short-term to their long-term memory. The grades revealed that some should have rehearsed a little more.

Rehearsing is essential with much of what we do. Those who plan to sing at church rehearse. Professional singers rehearse. Playing sports requires rehearsing before games.

Rehearsing is also a part of our Christian experience. God told the ancient Israelites to rehearse his commands. Not only were they to know them personally, but they were also to teach them to their children by rehearsing them daily in every situation. Rehearsing would lead to remembering.

Rehearsing God’s Word is essential and commanded by God, but we still have to choose to do it. God won’t force us to learn his Word. As a child, I was required to memorize various Bible verses, along with the books of the Bible. Children in my father’s church practiced sword drills, which entailed a contest to see who could locate a book of the Bible quicker. But as an adult, the choice is mine.

Rehearsing God’s Word forces us to meditate on it. What is on our minds, we will think about often. God will bring his Word to our conscience when it is embedded in our memory. This is beneficial when we’re tempted. God’s Word reminds us of his requirements and his ability to help us fend off my archenemy.

Rehearsing God’s Word also aids when we’re questioned about what we believe and why. When his Word infiltrates our hearts, we’ll be prepared to give an answer to the curious and to the skeptics.

Don’t let anything keep you from rehearsing God’s Word.

Father, thank you for your Word that calms my fears, lifts my spirits, and strengthens me for any circumstances I might face. 

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Wrong Is Never Right - Martin Wiles

What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil. Isaiah 5:20 NLT

Clay was usually a good student, but on this particular day, he broke the rules.

I sat with my back partially to the class, teaching from a PowerPoint about verbs. I could see most of them with my peripheral vision, including Clay, who sat in the back. As I taught, I noticed his hand continually slipping in and out of his pocket. Each time I looked at him, he gazed back with an innocent look. 

Toward the end of class, I remarked, “By the way, I know you’ve been eating.”

Quickly defending himself, he pulled out a piece of candy and said, “But I’ve only eaten one.” 

My look of disbelief convicted him. “Okay, two,” he said, “but I didn’t get to finish my breakfast this morning, and I didn’t have my milk.”

His remark was so comical that I and the rest of the class melted into a pool of laughter. Still, what he did was against the rules. 

Isaiah pronounced a “woe” upon those who called good evil and evil good. They had twisted values. Clay’s actions proved the mistake still existed. 

Though people and times may have changed, God’s standards haven’t. He still has an ethical and social code that he expects us to obey. I remember when even those who weren’t believers followed God’s code simply because most of society did. Not so many years ago, President Ronald Reagan said, “Without God, there is no virtue because there’s no prompting of the conscience. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” 

Circumstances should not determine right and wrong. Doing so leads to situational ethics. What was wrong initially is still bad and will be when time ends, regardless of whether we think God should change his mind. And following the majority is often the wrong thing for us to do. While the majority may win the vote, they can still be wrong—and they are about many forms of behavior currently accepted as permissible. 

God bases his standards on his nature, which is characterized by holiness and goodness. We can be sure God is not out to make our lives miserable. Following his guidelines will result in the best possible life there is to live. 

Satisfaction and joy never result from calling evil good.

Father, may my standards always replicate those detailed in your Word. 

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Christmas Reflections from a Music Teacher - Chaney McCoy

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 NLT

As I finally lay down after a day full of hectic, beautiful chaos, I couldn't help but think of why I pursued music education in the first place.

Music moves people in so many ways. It can touch hearts when sometimes words can't. I found that out long ago and wanted to teach little hearts to love and be moved by words with music. One night, I was reminded by my son that music does touch and move people even when I don't think it does.  

My neck and shoulders ached. I was on a heating pad, tired and ragged from the day's events. My son was ready to play basketball when we got home. He had asked all week about putting our tree up. What's for supper? My husband was called into work again for the second time on the same day. Another main water line had burst. The list goes on. All I wanted to do was take a hot shower and bed down, but I pushed on and did what I needed to do as a mom on her own that night without the person I leaned on. The one who kept me sane and who I really needed. 

I finally got to the tree and lights after a busy day. By then, my fingertips were splitting and sore from being so dry and the constant use of sanitizer and now from fluffing the tree. Then, I heard my son in his room singing "Hope for Everyone," one of the songs they had sung in the Christmas program at school. He made up his own lyrics where he couldn't remember the original, but what stuck with him was "hope for everyone."  

The Lord is good; there's hope for everyone. 

The Lord is Lord; there's hope for everyone.

It's Christmas time; there's hope for everyone.

I'm so glad there's hope for everyone.

He had listened and soaked in the meaning and purpose of the chapel service. The day was worth the aches, tiredness, and sore fingers. Listening to my son and his music gave me peace and calmed my heart. It also motivated me to keep doing what I was called to do: teach others what God has so graciously given me the ability to do--move others through the power of music. 

Find your hope in Christ this Christmas. 

Chaney McCoy is a music enthusiast, teacher, and tutor at Greenwood Christian School, Greenwood, SC. 

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God Rewards the Faithful - Martin Wiles

To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. Matthew 13:12 NLT

His comment came during one of the most taxing times of a school year.

As I stood outside my doorway during class changes, a young man whom I had previously taught passed my way. I normally speak to him first, but this day, he spoke first.

“Dr. Wiles, you were hard on us, but it paid off in the end.”

His comment shocked me. We teachers rarely hear remarks like this while students are still in school. Perhaps during graduation speeches or after they enter high school or college, but not while still under our tutelage. 

I smiled a large smile, thinking this was one of his normal smart remarks he was known for, and said, “I’m glad.”

With an even larger smile, he remarked, “I’m serious.”

This interaction was one of those rare occurrences when a teacher receives confirmation they are doing a good job at what they do. I thanked him for his comment. The remainder of my hectic day took on a new shape. I had been rewarded, not monetarily, but in a way money couldn’t buy.

Wanting rewards for our actions is normal. Never receiving recognition leads to a miserable existence. Jesus’ disciples were rewarded with something many others weren’t: the ability to understand the parables he taught. When they didn’t, he explained them.

God’s greatest reward is the assurance of salvation and comes when we trust in what Jesus did on Calvary’s cross and follow him as our Savior. The work God assigns to us children can be challenging. Some of the work he has given me taxed my ability to cope, understand, and carry it out.

But God rewards our good works. He gives more opportunities in the present and promises crowns in the future. Regardless of how he rewards us, we must always remember to praise him for any accomplishments that result. We can do all things through Christ—but nothing worthy apart from him.

While good works don’t produce salvation, they should result when forgiveness of sins has occurred. They are the proof in the pudding. Using them to serve God in new and fresh ways—and to say “Thank You” for his salvation—is the only wise thing to do.

Think about what you are doing with the rewards God has given you.

Father, move me to serve you faithfully as I anticipate the rewards you will give for my obedience. 

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Jesus’ Reverse Psychology on Dependence - Martin Wiles

Then he said, “Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” Then he put a little child among them. Mark 9:35-36

As a middle school teacher, one of my tasks is to instill responsibility in the students. At their age, most of them buck my efforts. Although I give them due dates for their papers and projects, most want me to remind them. And even though the school handbook states a student must consult their teacher about make-up work, many don’t and receive a reduced grade or even a zero. Some parents think we’re overly harsh on their young children, but we know teaching children responsibility—even when it stings--will benefit them later in life.

Jesus, however, used reverse psychology. While on the way to Capernaum, his disciples argued about which of them was the greatest. Ironically, Jesus didn’t say it was the one who was the most responsible but rather the most dependent one. And he put a child in their midst to demonstrate it.

Jesus’ intention was a little different. Total dependence on someone else is risky and unhealthy. But total reliance on him is essential and spiritually healthy. Children, at least initially, have total trust in their parents. Jesus wants the same from us. Total trust leads to a spiritually fulfilled life. Jesus will never disappoint us and will always guide us in the right direction.

As with their teachers, children often think their parents know everything. Later, they discover they don’t. Jesus, on the other hand, does know all things. He is omniscient, and since he is, we can place our total trust in Him.

Children also think their parents can do everything. Getting, “I thought you knew how to do everything,” when a child discovers their parents aren’t all-knowing isn’t unusual. Jesus, however, can do all things. He’s all-powerful—omnipotent.

And perhaps most basic of all, children believe their parents will care for them—now and forever. Many do; unfortunately, many don’t. Jesus always will. He never abandons his children.

Learn to trust Christ like a child.

Father, help me trust you as children do their parents. 

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Mastered - Martin Wiles

Even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. I Corinthians 6:12 NLT

Do technological devices drain the brain?

Along with other teachers and administrators, I attended a two-day conference. One of the keynote speakers was an international speaker who had written two books on addiction to smartphones and other devices. The statistics pummeled us to the edge of our seats and were, to say the least, disturbing.

Gaming, notifications, likes, views. All terms I was familiar with. What I wasn’t familiar with was what happens when any of those things happen. A chemical called dopamine is released that stimulates the pleasure part of my brain. When my brain is flooded with large doses—which happens when overuse of tech devices takes place--addiction occurs. The same type a cocaine addict experiences.

Cutting was another term I was vaguely familiar with. When the tolerance wall has risen so high that the dopamine no longer provides the pleasure it once did, people with an addiction often resort to cutting. This releases a different type of chemicals—endorphins--but ones that give a pleasurable feeling nevertheless.

The percentage of young children and teens, along with adults, who are addicted to smartphones and other connected devices is alarming. In Paul’s day, it wasn’t tech devices but a way of thinking. Some were legalists and consumed with the “can’t dos.” Others were libertines and thought they could do anything now that God’s grace had liberated them. Paul didn’t disagree with the freedom thinkers but proposed that nothing would master him.

Being mastered is dangerous. The only thing that should master us is the commitment to allow God to mold us into the image of His Son—a process that is often painful and lengthy but essential for successful Christian living.

Obedience to what Jesus considered the two greatest commands allows this to happen. Loving God with our total being should become the pursuit that masters us daily. Doing so changes our actions, attitudes, and outlook on life. Combined with this is loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. This, too, will change how we act and react toward others.

Commit to loving God and others more than you do tech devices.

Father, prick my heart and mind so that I desire to serve You and others with my spirit, soul, and mind.

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Tackling Life’s Trials - Martin Wiles

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8 NLT

One took advantage of the situation; the other stepped up to the plate.

Watching a few middle schoolers traipse down the hall on crutches or with a limb in a cast isn’t unusual. In addition to the injuries, there are usually health-related issues as well. Students missing class for injuries or health concerns is typical; how they deal with it varies.

One particular year, two stood out. One had a broken limb; the other a health-related issue that kept him home for weeks. Normally, when a student has a broken limb, another student comes alongside them and carries their books. Not for this particular student. He didn’t even ask. He wrote the best he could with the hand he didn’t usually write with. Nothing was late or missing. The other student took advantage of his situation. Their responses are typical.

The psalmist confessed he would never be shaken regardless of what came his way. There was no need. The Lord was with him. The promise he held onto applies to every believer. When trials come—no matter the intensity, time, or shape—being shaken is unnecessary. But how we respond reveals much about our faith.

If we go about our business in the presence of trials as if it’s just another ordinary period—as the student with the broken limb did—our faith will change. Our spiritual walk with the Lord will mature, our faith will develop, and our dependence on God rather than ourselves will get a lift. Trials will turn us more toward God rather than others or ourselves. We’ll remember we can’t handle life on our own. We need more than friends, family, and acquaintances. We need God.

The only other choice is to do what the other student did: milk the system. We can get mad at God for allowing these circumstances into our lives and refuse to spend time with Him in prayer or any other way. We can depend too much on others at the expense of God and perhaps end up in co-dependent relationships. Or we can do nothing and have our own pity party.

Trials test our faith and form our integrity. Tackle the trials that come your way, knowing God is on your side and willing and able to help.  

Father, I thank You that Your strength is enough to enable me to conquer any trial. 

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I Thought I Knew You - Martin Wiles

He’s just the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us. Mark 6:3 NLT

I’d known him thirteen years before. But then he was a baby; now he was a teenager.

I once took a high school teacher’s position at a local private school. As I called the roll in my ninth-grade class, I immediately recognized the name of one of my students. His parents were members of a small country church my father had once pastored.

Since this young man was a baby when I last saw him, I could only judge his character by his parents. They were hard-working, honest people who had been good friends to my family and me. They were dedicated to the church and faithfully supported it. Surely, this young man would mimic his parents. In this case, he did, but he could have misrepresented his family entirely. I judged him by what I knew about his parents and expected as much from him.

Jesus’ hometown was Nazareth. He had grown up as a carpenter, the son of Mary and Joseph. Years later—when he returned claiming to be God’s Son—the people scoffed. They knew him as the carpenter’s son but nothing more. Their preconceived ideas kept them from believing the truth about him. They missed the Savior. Prejudice blinded them to the truth.

There have been a number of occasions when I’ve been disappointed by those I thought I knew. They’ve let me down, gossiped about me, and betrayed me when I needed them the most. I knew the parents of some and expected better but was disillusioned. Stereotyping has also occasionally kept me from seeing the person behind the facade.

God creates everyone in his image. Prejudice, stereotyping, and erroneous first-time impressions can keep us from seeing others’ inner potential and helping them realize it. There’s nothing we can’t do or be with God’s assistance, and the same is true of all people. Many whom we think we know often surprise us by being more than we ever imagined. We see a cheater; God sees a business owner. We see a troubled teen; God sees a future preacher or missionary.

We are all masterpieces in the making. God wants us to see others as he does.

What blinders do you need to remove so you can know others as God does?

Father, help me see others as You do so I can love them as You do. 

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Choosing a Substitute - Martin Wiles

Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Exodus 32:4 NLT

Rarely is choosing a substitute as good as the real thing.

“We have a sub” can spread like a California wildfire through a school. An array of negative emotions may follow the statement. But some students are ecstatic. They envision free time and an opportunity to give a difficult time to this person who isn’t their teacher.

Being the sub is no easier. Often, the call to fill in comes at the last moment, along with the possibility of being totally unfamiliar with the subject area they sub in. For some reason, students don’t perceive subs as having authority. The sub is not their teacher or usually an employee of the school.

As a teacher, I don’t get to choose my subs, but I would have my favorites if I did. The ones who maintain control of the class, know the disciplinary rules, and make the students do the work I’ve left.

God summoned Moses to the peak of Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and other ceremonial laws. After a long absence, the people assumed something had happened to their leader. They beckoned his brother, who made them a gold calf and said, “Here is your God.” They chose a substitute—and it couldn’t compare.

All around me, I see people choosing substitutes for God. I even fall into the trap periodically myself. My substitutes may be bad habits, sinful practices, laziness, or busyness. Anything that assumes God’s place.

When we choose a substitute, we’ll be disappointed. That’s what God substitutes do. They promise happiness and fulfillment but don’t deliver. They look good but taste bad. They prance around under the guise of being God-sent but never are. God sent Moses, not a golden calf.

Choosing substitutes also guarantees God’s discipline. The Israelites who disobeyed paid the price. Whenever I’ve chosen something to replace the real thing, God has lovingly shown me my error and then convinced me by disciplining me like a loving father.

Don’t let substitutes take God’s place of supreme authority in your life.

Father, keep my eyes focused on You, so I won’t choose substitutes to replace You. 

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Loving the Boundaries - Martin Wiles

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Galatians 6:7 NLT

The letters lay in box—the folds showing evidence of students who had never written letters by hand, never inserted them in envelopes, and never used snail mail.

 

The day was a typical one. During my planning period, I walked to the teacher's workroom to check my mailbox, which is normally empty. This time, ruffled-looking sheets of paper lay in my cubby. I noticed some in other teachers’ cubbies also. I pulled them out and saw my name hand-scribbled on them. When I opened the top one, I saw a handwritten note from a student. I quickly fumbled through the remaining ones and saw they too were from students in the various grades of middle school. Not having time to read them, I refolded them and hurried back to my room.

 

Later in the day when I had free time, I reopened the letters. The elective teacher had asked her students to write letters to teachers, telling them something nice. As I read, some students expressed surprise that I had put up with them for three years, but they appreciated it. One student remarked how awestruck she was that I had taught three generations of her siblings. She showed me her appreciation of English by taking a red pen and marking out a noticeable mistake. Another said he looked forward to my class every day. Still another thanked me for being so laid back and for not giving him lunch detention every time he deserved it. A few said I was their favorite teacher. One commented on how much she had learned and grown in my class.

 

What I hated in school and at home—boundaries—these students seemed to appreciate. I’m sure they appreciate the boundaries their parents place on them as well—although they would never tell them. On most days, I think students hate me for being so hard and for pushing them to the limits, but they are intelligent enough to know I do so for their good.

 

Paul talked about the boundary law when he used the example of agriculture. Whatever a farmer sows, he will harvest. A farmer doesn’t plant corn and harvest soybeans. This is the law of the boundaries.

 

I didn’t always appreciate the boundaries my parents placed on me—most of which represented God’s boundaries found in the Bible. But like my students, I knew they were beneficial. Because of my sinful nature, I would have run wild had boundaries been absent. Even with them, I often tested their confinement.

 

Just as I give much grace to my students when they cross the boundaries, so God does with us. He’s not sitting in heaven waiting for us to mess up so He can crush us. He establishes the boundaries to keep us on paths that are for our good. When we cross them, He gently guides us back inside the lines.

 

Boundaries teach us to trust God, to determine right from wrong, to grow as an individual, to establish our identity, to show love, and to prepare us for the future.

 

Learn to love the boundaries God places around you, for we find true freedom within them.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for the boundaries You place on our lives. 

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