Help When A Kid Hates A TeacherSample

Hannah stood in the hallway and fumed. She hated her teacher. She thought of all the angry words she’d like to say. Then she sighed. Being angry wasn’t going to solve her problem. What could?

With irritation, Hannah remembered her father’s suggestion. She didn’t have any other ideas, so she started to pray.

“Help me, God. Help me… pray for Ms. Mitchell. Bless her. Make her happy. Give her success in her work…”

Suddenly, Hannah thought about what it might be like to be her teacher. Maybe her job wasn’t all that easy. Maybe she was frustrated that her students didn’t pay attention.

When Ms. Mitchell came into the hallway, Hannah was ready.

“I’m sorry,” Hannah said. “I shouldn’t have been disruptive.” Then she added, “If you’ll let me help, I have an idea to get kids excited about the lesson.”

“You do?” Ms. Mitchell asked.

“We could make it like a game!” Hannah said. “With teams that study together, and then compete.”

“I like that idea,” Ms. Mitchell smiled. “How about you present it to the class?”

You don’t have to be a good student for your teacher’s sake. Be a good student for God. Raise your hand for God to see. Answer questions for God to hear. Be helpful to your teacher, and imagine you’re doing it for God. Ephesians 6:7-8 says that if you work like God is your boss, God will reward you. It’ll also make you happier at school. The more you pray, the harder it is to hate.

When Hannah got into the car that afternoon, she couldn’t stop talking.

“Dad! You’ll never believe it! I took over the class, and we learned the amendments, and it was like a game, and Ms. Mitchell loved it!”

“Wow,” her dad said. “How’d you pull that off?”

“Duh, it was your idea, remember?” Hannah shrugged like it was obvious. “I prayed!”

Try this: Imagine God is substitute teaching for your class today. What would that be like?

Prayer: God, you are the best teacher. I believe you can help me at school today. Thank you, God. Amen.

We hope you were encouraged by this plan. Find more plans from the Theology of Work Project at www.theologyofwork.org/devotions