I saw a tweet the other day that really punched me in the gut.
There is a difference between making people feel important and believing that they are important.
Wow. If there is a place that I struggle, it is in this area. While I proclaim with my mouth that I believe all life was breathed into being by a loving, creative God, I know that inwardly I devalue people on a daily basis. Sadly, I know that such inward attitudes have a knack for clearly manifesting themselves regardless of my attempts to mask them.
Here's an example. I'm a morning planner. I like walking into my classroom (coffee in hand), and getting right to the job of fine-tuning and finishing my lesson plans for the day. I don't go in unprepared, but I do like to have a time of quiet solitude in which to gather my thoughts and prep materials. However, it is usually in these moments of professional privacy that I hear a knock on my door. Nine times out of ten, that knock is coming from a student who, nine times out of ten, has no real agenda other than just wandering past my room and dropping in to shoot the breeze.
This, of course, upsets my morning ritual, thus triggering an alarm in my brain which exclaims, "But I had plans this morning!" I think to myself, "How dare this young person amble into my 'moment of teacher zen' and throw off my routine?!"
When I think of these moments, I cringe because the routine for dealing with such intrusion is all too familiar:
- offer a casual (but not overly inviting) smile so they sense I'm at least semi-pleased they've come by
- split attention between person and computer screen so it's obvious I'm working (appear anxious so as to communicate that I REALLY want to chat, but am just working furiously)
- gently push them to a purpose so that if they did have a class-related reason for coming, they'll not beat around the bush
- tell them (on their way out) how much I appreciate them coming by
- lock the door upon their exit
Now, to be honest, I don't even think that this shameful procedure even counts as
making someone feel important. I'm sure that it has more likely made too many people feel far less than valued. However, even if a charade like this manages to give off some semblance of sincere concern unfortunately pitted against dedication to my job, I know full well that I, in such moments, am not truly believing in the importance of a uniquely-gifted, God-created individual.
Few students will admit it while in school, but teachers are most kids' heroes. On an average day, many kids see and interact with their teachers and coaches more than their own parents. I know that one of the most powerful things that can happen in the life of a student is for them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that a teacher truly believes in and values them. If this wasn't true, then I wouldn't be so prone to read the note my AP Lit. teacher wrote in the front cover of the Mark Twain book she gave me when I graduated high school. Reading her kind words often restores my spirit and reinvigorates me in times of discouragement. She saw importance in me and made sure I knew it.
I draw on her words again and again, so why would I not want to offer the same to my students?
In reality, that
is the kind of effect I want to have on people. Obviously, this hits home for me in the sphere of education. However, this desire also spills over into my interactions with my friends, family, and acquaintances.
Ultimately, I want to truly believe these things:
- Everyone was created by a loving God (Psalm 139:13-14)
- Everyone was created to be an image bearer of their Creator (Genesis 1:26)
- Everyone was created to know God and to manifest God-given, unique giftings and talents (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Cor. 14:4-11)
- Everyone was created to know God and use their God-given talents/abilities to glorify Him (1 Peter 4:10-11)
- It is impossible to love God and devalue people who were created for His glory and for whom He sent Christ as an atoning sacrifice. (1 John 4:20)
I'm pretty sure that if these truths were to take root in my mind, when that young student wanders into my class and interrupts my final moments of preparation for a day's chaos, I'd ditch the "fake believe" routine. Instead, that student might go into their day confidently knowing that there is someone who sees them as God does: important.
