Which Kronk will you Listen to?

If you've never seen Disney's The Emperor's New Groove, you're missing out. Regardless, there is a scene in the comedy where the antagonist's quirky and brawny henchman, Kronk, is instructed to dispose of the emperor's body when he turned into a llama instead of dead. Kronk's plan is to throw the emperor into a burlap sack, tie it, and toss the unconscious llama into a waterfall with the hopes that it kills him or somehow makes him disappear. 

Don't worry, it's an animated film, so it's not as violent as you think.

Before Kronk follows through with his plan, a devil Kronk appears on his left shoulder and an angel Kronk appears on his right moments later. I won't spoil the rest of it, but Kronk does eventually listen to one of the celestial shoulder beings and it unravels a string of hilarious moments - even for adults -  throughout the film.

I have been teaching at the same charter school in the same grade level for over 10 years now, and one of the rewards that comes with longevity is that people, namely students, will approach me with eagerness and energy proclaiming how excited they are to be in my class one day...

...four years from now. 

The younger the child, the more passionate they are about their bold prediction of one day being a member of my classroom. Ninety percent of the time, I don't know their name and have never seen them before, even when they tell me their sister's friend's younger brother was in my class seven years ago. You're probably thinking, That math doesn't even make sense. The worse part is when they give you that look like you should know them by name because you taught their sister's friend's younger brother. 

In reality, I always look forward to these interactions because it reminds me of the small joys that come with sticking it out in one career field in one location. After all, who doesn't like to create a name for themselves and leave a lasting legacy that is positive and powerful? Every brief interaction with the little ones is the angel Kronk on my shoulder reminding me that these conversations throughout the school day are checkpoints along the hike of life that remind me I am headed in the right direction. Whenever I face any level of difficulty during the workday, I often cling to them like rations on a battlefield because they keep me focused on why God put me in this position.

Then there is the devil Kronk.

The devil Kronk reminds me how strict, disorganized, unqualified, and clumsy I am, which means these youngsters who claim they'll be in my class one day don't have enough information to know whether they'll succeed in my classroom. Worse, they probably won't like me because I'll find a way to mess up their only 5th grade experience.

I have a running joke with myself that devil Kronk likely loves more than the angel Kronk on the other side:

"Those who enter my class love me. Once they leave my class, they warn others about me." 

The worse part about this joke is there is deep level of truth behind it, though it is not the entire truth. However, when I only focus on the students who defined their 5th grade teacher as strict and difficult, I convince myself there is nothing to be proud of. There goes my legacy, and even if there is one, it's the version where I'm known as the horrible teacher who should be surprised he even has a job in education still. The devil Kronk can do handstands and make me laugh with his subtle jokes, but if I pay too much attention to him, I am doomed because my legacy becomes a believed lie that I allow to go straight down the waterfall with the llama.

Just like me, Paul had his own devil Kronk and angel Kronk. The super apostles (2 Corinthians 11) were his devil Kronks. They were false teachers who appeared to be superior to Paul by manner and authority. Paul was weak in appearance, unsightly, and those he came in contact with held the strong opinion that he should stick to letter writing over public speaking (see 2 Corinthians 10:9-10). Comparitively, Paul had no chance at persuading people by appearance - the good-looking super apostles had him beat by a mile. 

However, where Paul was weak physically and in appearance, he made up for with sound mind, unwavering dedication to his purpose, and self-discipline in his approach to sharing and spreading the Gospel  his mission was led by God and his commitment to what the angel Kronk told him.

When Paul addressed the church in Corinth, he repeatedly modeled how to view your weaknesses as a reflection of Christ's power. 

"Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Paul saw whatever inward or outward sign of weakness as another reason to glorify God because His power and grace would sustain him through all hardship. 

Whether I take the good opinions and criticisms about my teaching with a grain of salt or not, if I put my career in the hands of the Father rather than in my appearance like the super apostles did, I will learn to take the feedback through the lens of Christ and the Holy Spirit (the angel Kronk) in me. 

Sure, the devil Kronk might still exist in my mind, but the idea of him dictating my life sounds more and more laughable by the minute when I have a living, active God who is not only in  my corner, but is worthy of my praise whether I am weak or strong. 

Before Kronk makes his decision to let the sack go down the waterfall or not, the devil Kronk confidently gives the angel Kronk and Kronk three reasons they should listen to his ideas:

Devil Kronk: "Number one - look at that guy! He's got that sissy stringy music thing!"

Angel Kronk (agitated): "We've been through this. It's a harp, and you know it."

Devil Kronk: "Reason number two. Look what I can do."

Devil Kronk then proceeds to do a handstand, and half way through his performance, lifts one hand as a show of strength and skill.

Kronk (confused): What does that have to do with anything?

Whether I am too strict or the greatest teacher of all time. Ultimately, if pleasing God is my end goal, it is Christ in me that will be my positive, powerful legacy.

In light of Christ in me, all Satan can do is a handstand, while the Holy Spirit can help me make decisions that are in alignment with Christ and his will for me.

What the students see when they want me as their teacher is Christ in me, and when I fully embrace the power of the Holy Spirit in my heart and mind, it makes Satan's handstands more comical than intimidating. My dad's version of the devil Kronk is "A lion without teeth." His version is probably more accurate than a miniature Kronk with a mouse voice, devils horns, a trident, and a red wet suit. Regardless, who we listen to will determine how we carry out God's will for our lives.

When Paul was a changed man through God's intervention, he did not turn back - he listened to the angel Kronk voice in him and pressed onward toward the goal to spread the Gospel to as many nations and churches as he could. He understood who lived in him, which carried far more weight than appearing wealthy, knowledgeable, and powerful like the super apostles did.

"I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

- Paul, from Galatians 2:20

Paul knows what it's like to listen to both the angel Kronk and the devil Kronk; he persecuted Christians before he became the Paul we know today. 

God loves to remind me who I am in him, and when students approach me with eagerness and excitement - and a hint of naivety - exclaiming their prediction about being in my future class, it reminds me of the positive, powerful legacy I am creating with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Whether he's a toothless lion or an animated devil in red spandex, our free will and the advocate we are promised in the Holy Spirit gives us the power to not listen to him.

Even if the Holy Spirit is a robed angel with a sissy stringy music thing.

Andy, the Samaritan, and the Messiah

The Story:

Once upon a time, there was a runaway slave who is running through the woods to complete his escape plan. He approaches a lion that stops him in his tracks, for this beast is injured. If not for a large thorn, the lion would be freely roaming the woods as he usually does on a normal day. Unfortunately, the thorn is the reason he is down for the count, a victim of the thorn whose sharp, pointy edge has debilitated the king of the forest and paralyzed him from striking fear in his prey. Though it does not explicitly say, it is likely the injury from the thorn has simultaneously hurt the lion and allowed the slave to flee from his owner unharmed.

But something interesting happens. The runaway slave, whose name is Androcles, like most adventure movies, sees his exit, the hurting lion, then his exit, and quickly weighs the pros and cons in his head. This is also probably the point where, if this story were a show airing on FOX, it would shoot to a commercial, causing the entire room of viewers to wait impatiently for the decision the protagonist (or antagonist) will make.

Instead of making his in and out of the woods unharmed - after all, what good is a lion if his paw is bloodied from a sharp thorn? - the slave stoops down to aid the lion by pulling the thorn out of his paw and nursing him back to health. The lion, out of a show of gratitude, takes the slave to his cave, provides him with meat he collects from the forest, and essentially keeps him safe from the rest of the world. Unfortunately, their freedom comes to and end shortly after, because both are found by the emperor of Rome and separated for some time before being taken into the arena to be seen as a public spectacle in a gladiator fight.

When the time comes for slave and lion to perform in this dual, the ravenous lion is let out of the cage to face the man and bounds with great speed in an effort to make the slave his food.

Right before pouncing, the lion recognizes the man and instead of eating him whole, he stops and begins licking him as a sign of friendship and affection. The emperor is so thrown off by this display of love, loyalty, and devotion, he pardons both the slave and the lion and thus declaring them officially free. No longer is the slave considered "runaway" free but free "by law," so he no longer has to live in fear of being caught again.

Kindness is the Theme of Life:

I love using this story to teach the components of literature to my students because, at fifth grade, students are ruthlessly rude and disrespectful to one another, break hearts in the name of "self-defense", speak sarcastically to one another, and develop proficiency at navigating - and hiding behind - the digital codes of social media. They become bullies in their own right. If you want evidence, eavesdrop into a conversation and you'll quickly find out how unforgiving the battleground of an adolescent can be -- and it's not just what they speak with their mouths, it's also what they don't say and their lack of manners that can often be appalling to anyone who knows anything about common courtesy. 

With this short story, I can teach elements of fictional literature and model how we should treat each other all in one lesson. Androcles and the Lion is Aesop's gift to all teachers. Androcles & the Lion demonstrates, in a slightly exaggerated way, the good that can come from being a Good Samaritan even when no one asked you, or paid you, to play that role. 

Some would call it Karma, some would call it God protecting those choose to be like Jesus, and some might label it "being the good the world needs." Regardless of what my takeaways from this story are, it's an easy one to teach my 5th graders because kindness is powerful no matter what religion you believe, time period you live in, or society you are part of, kindness does a whole lot of good for any community. Personally, I feel kids at this age get lost navigating through what they want versus what they experience the world giving them on a daily basis. They desperately crave to fit in, be liked, and feel understood. If they don't, they resort to versions of themselves they would never want to be friends with if they saw themselves behaving the way they do. Kids at this age, and maybe you and I from time to time, need a little bit of Andy and The Lion to teach us a few lessons or two about kindness.

 Everything to Gain, Everything to Lose 

As a teacher educating 10-year-olds on the theme of this story, I always hear the tip-of-the-iceberg or Mariana Trench responses to "What is Aesop's moral of this story?" Tip-of-the-iceberg is the simple reply: "Kill them with kindness!" or "Kindness is cool." 

I want to go deeper than that. Mariana Trench deep.

In other words, what is the cost of kindness? What does "even when it's hard" look like?

Students are smart to add, "Even when it's hard," because there is plenty of text evidence to connect to the claim. We call that "Supporting Details." But where is the evidence in their own life when kindness is difficult? Most kids can tell you how to be kind, define kind, and wear Old Navy shirts with "Choose Kindness" embroidered across the front of it. We're good at preaching kindness, but what do we do when an injured lion steps in front of your agenda?

Think about it like this: the moment the Lion strikes the thorn, the roles are reversed. The slave has power because of the freedom he experiences while on the run - no one to depend on anymore. The Lion is now dependent on the removal of the thorn to regain his reputation as king of the jungle. In a world where everyone and everything operates under their identity, the slave is weak and the lion is strong. Additionally, if this lion really is the King of the jungle, a pesky thorn should have nothing on him. This thorn is a mere dust mite compared to the lion's sheer strength and will power. Right? Not only does the lion represent an obstacle standing between the slave and his freedom, he's also dealing with an animal that could destroy you from limb to limb because he has a big appetite. I don't know if you've heard, but it is quite difficult to reason with a hungry lion. They typically don't see a human to befriend, but meat to devour and consume. Once the thorn is gone, so is Androcles. Gone to be with the inside of the the lion's stomach. 

When Androcles experiences a moment of hesitation, if there is one, upon hearing the cries of the injured lion, he has everything to gain upon ignoring those cries. On the flipside, he has everything to lose if he assists the lion through his predicament: Androcles could get tricked by this beast in the forest and get eaten alive or the slave master could catch up to him and send him back with a severe punishment awaiting him. Best case scenario, it stalls his perfect escape from slave life - he's almost to the finish line where freedom is waiting to join him. Worse case scenario, his one shot at escaping the hands of his master is gone either because he gets eaten alive or the master finds him and returns him from whence he came.

 No one would judge him, scold him, or rip him apart on social media if he decides to ignore the lion. If anything, Androcles would be encouraged to leave the lion alone - after all, he's preserving his own life.  No one would blame, Androcles. To make the decision easier, no one in the forest was witnessing firsthand the dilemma staring him down; there was no Instagram following, no Facebook Live feed for Androcles' friends to view, and no news van parked in the forest so the runaway slave's kindness would go viral. He had no motivating factor to do his deed of the day. He had no agent chirping in his ear telling him to perform an act of kindness so the entire forest would know about in order for it to improve his image as the good guy doing good things. It was the lion, Androcles, and his moral compass guiding him. Despite having everything to lose and a healthy, man-eating lion to gain, Androcles still chose to rescue the hurting lion. 

If you ignore the ending of the story, and even the part where Andy and the lion become besties, there is no logical reason the slave should stop to help. No reason whatsoever. Period.

Let's stick with the Tip-of-the-Iceberg response: Kindness is cool. Is it? In this case, it doesn't sound too cool. Yes, Andy is kind, and that's respectable. If cool means eating raw meat the lion gives you as a gift, getting recaptured, and forced to fight against a ravenous lion in an arena - the same killer lion who you just befriended, then yes, cool. But that wouldn't be a cool life for me. The moment the word "Recaptured" was part of the timeline, I stopped considering pulling a thorn out as an option.

Let's zoom in on Andy's decision making for a minute. In the beginning of the story, Androcles is a runaway slave in a forest where his owner is no where to be seen. What does this mean for the slave? His escape plan worked. Androcles is probably no different than your typical human. He probably reasoned with himself to not show anyone kindness or help anyone in need because that would stall his only shot at freedom. No one would oppose him deciding to do what makes him happy. His slave friends probably said something along the lines of "You do you" or "Let the haters hate." When the slave hears the cries of the lion, all the convincing the devil on Androcles' shoulder did to keep him focused on his escape plan fell to the wayside. He used his freedom to set the lion free. He traded the freedom he had to love the lion unconditionally, even if it cost him any future freedom he would have. He didn't keep his freedom to himself; he shared it by giving the lion a shot at freedom from the thorn.

That's the Mariana Trench response.

What this Means to Us:

In a lot of ways, Androcles should be us on any given day. We are called to a higher standard in how we treat one another, not just when it is most convenient or when all eyes are on us. The fact that Androcles and the Lion takes place in the forest where no other creatures a mentioned is not by accident. Androcles gave up his perfect escape plan because someone needed help - and without a moment's hesitation, he jumped in to save the lion. He risked his own life to save the lion so the lion could get back to doing lion things. Androcles is the Aesop's Fables version of the Good Samaritan.

One of the observations my students undoubtedly make at some point in the conversations we have about this story is how many times the slave could have taken care of his needs and done nothing for the lion. First, he could have kept running through the woods and taken advantage of the lion's thorn misfortune. Second, when the lion brings Androcles to the cave to feed him food as a gift for pulling the thorn out of his paw, he could have said "toodles" after getting his fill. Since he didn't, Androcles was recaptured and sent to the Colosseum to take part in the games against his friend, the lion.

The more you think about this story, the more it makes you wonder what would have happened if Andy didn't stop and assist the lion. Sure, he may have still gotten recaptured and dropped into the arena to face the lion, or maybe not. Maybe Andy would be spotted on some nameless island off the grid, sipping Pina Coladas and munching on the finest fresh sushi. All you can eat too. Regardless of the outcome, Andy sacrificed his freedom so someone else could be free. The slaves freedom from slavery became the lion's freedom from a thorn. Isn't this what we're called to do as well? In a moments notice, we should consider how to step in to assist those who need it, regardless of what it accomplishes for us. It is evident in this short story that not once did Andy consider what saving the lion would do for himself. 

Unfortunately, too often, I do the opposite of Androcles. I calculate the risk of being Jesus to others and wind up talking myself out of kindness. Like Andy and the lion, the Samaritan who assisted the Jewish man in distress was a part of a people group staunchly opposed to Jews. While lions and humans are not known to be enemies of each other, they also are not known to be within the same pride - they are not known to coexist in the wild together, and anyone who advises you to pack your bags to go live with the lions in the grasslands of Africa is an utter fool. 

So, we have a runaway slave who assists a lion without regard for his own future in one of Aesop's fables. We have a Samaritan man going out of his way to help a Jewish man heal in one of the parables told by Jesus. Both of the main characters in each story have no reason to do what they did except because it is the right thing to do. They both did something great for someone else, even if it meant sacrificing their own agenda. 

On the cross, Jesus didn't just do what he did because "Kindness is cool." Andy, the Samaritan, and Jesus all represent a step deeper than kindness: Love. The first two stories are fictional - a fable and a parable. Jesus' story of dying on the cross so we can experience life is real. His loving kindness was not shown out of convenience. It cost him his freedom. He died a brutal death, filled with torture, humiliation, and indescribable pain so that we could live an abundant life. He pulled the thorn out of us and wore a crown of them on his head. That's not just kindness. It's love. 

It's love in the form of sacrifice, and Jesus urges us to use his death an resurrection as an example for how deep our love should be for those around us:

"As the Father has love me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love...My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

-John 15:13 

Androcles laid his freedom down for the lion so he could be freed. The Good Samaritan aided the Jew in his recovery and sacrificed his time, energy, and finances to help him. Jesus set those captured by sin free by putting those sins on his shoulders and taking them to the cross, where we belonged.

How will you lay your life down for those God placed in your path?

*https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/lions 

**https://www.britannica.com/animal/lion

Mr. Tweed-Suit Man: At Your Service

Over 10 years ago, 2013, it was my first year at EDUPRIZE Charter School in Gilbert, Arizona. It was the beginning of the school year, which meant most of Arizona was God's oven and we were his delicious cookies, hoping to not to melt. But it wasn't the heat that had me worried. On this particular Friday afternoon, we had a half day with the students, and the second half of the day was meetings with the staff. This staff meeting included a special announcement:

"One of the great honors of being one of few A+ rated charter schools in Arizona," our principal began,

"Is that we are a model school for other principals and administrators to look to for ways to improve their own school and also get that A+ rating that we already have." 

She paused.

I gulped.

She continued, "Next week, we're having principals from other schools tour our school, and some of them will pop into your classroom for a visit. Since you're the reason our school gets that A+ rating, we want you to show them how it's done." She smiled that warm smile principals are known to have. I did not share that same smile at the time.

Are you kidding? This is the beginning of my second year. I'm a rookie! No way they're going to see me as the reason we're getting A+ marks. In fact, the reason we have an A+ is because the evaluators haven't been in my room yet! 

I'm not sure if I thought those very words at the time, but I remember being nervous and not having the kind of confidence needed to blow anyone's socks off. But, they were coming, and I had no choice but to pray that they'd either not come in my room or God would come down and turn water to wine - or some kind of miracle that would allow me the opportunity to escape the work day embarrassment-free.

After a sleepless weekend came and went, I was as ready as I could be. Monday morning also came and went, and I was able to breeze through the lessons without worry because there were no visitors popping in; no adults accept me. It was heavenly. I was thankful because it looked like I would escape the day unharmed by these upper-level visitors. I'm pretty sure their workday would be just as productive if they just searched "Incredible teachers" on YouTube and watch those videos, then tell their staff to be like them. Why do they have to come to my classroom to see what cool teachers do in the classroom? I'm not suggesting principals and superintendents are awful people (after all, I got hired by one), but they have expectations and probably drive Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs. In addition, most of them have gone through multiple certifications, all of the teaching positions, and various forms of experience in the school system before being hired into the position they currently held. For them to be inspired by me, I need to show them something amazing. Isn't that how it typically works? While their expectation was to see a great teacher in action, my expectation was that these visitors were the Grim Reaper, and this experience would be the death of me. 

Then the door opened to my classroom. Here we go.

I just started my reading lesson, and in walks a bald man with glasses and brown tweed suit with matching pants. He had a yellow visitor sticker on his right pocket, and he pulled up a chair in the back right corner of the room.

He just watched. The same thing a visiting principal would do. He was clearly that man.

It was my time to shine. Time to put my big-boy pants on and make my principal, my parents, my future kids and their kids, proud. I knew I couldn't toss him out of my classroom, so I did what I knew was best.

I walked over to this tweed-suit-man and introduced myself. 

"Hello, welcome to our school. My name is Mr. Fitz." Get ready to have your mind blown, I guess, I thought.

"Nice to meet you," he replied, standing up. He held out his hand to shake mine. Nice and strong. He had the handshake of a principal and even sounded like a principal. Obviously he ran a school 20-30 minutes from mine, and he probably ran it like a champ.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"No, I just wanted to stop in and see how it's going."

"Absolutely, and we're glad you're here!" I replied outwardly. Inwardly, Why me? God help me.

Boy, did He. I decided to go rogue from my written plans and put all of my best training to practice. Spring Arbor University, my Alma Mater, would be proud. Kids 20+ years into the future would be proud. I ran reading centers, made my expectations for the kids clear, infused technology and art into the lesson, and cracked jokes to keep the kids entertained. I did what administrators know as differentiated, monitored students' progress, and managed the behavior and discipline like a professional parent. It was incredible and still ranks in my top-10 best lessons taught to this day.

After I took a moment to catch my breath from the spectacular performance, I noticed the principal standing up to get my attention. 

"Wow, that was amazing. It's good to see my daughter's teacher in action -- oh, I'm sorry --" the tweed-suited man interrupted himself. "I didn't introduce myself...

I'm Ron. Ron Moller. Allison's dad."

Allison's dad? As in, parent of one of my students? I thought. 

I wanted to slap him. Of course he couldn't introduce himself as Allison's dad at the beginning. Of course he had to wait until the end of my spectacular lesson to finally tell me who he really is. My reading lesson was so good, it would be the top video trending that administrators would find on YouTube if they typed "Incredible Teachers" in the search bar and hit enter. 

But who was it for? Who was I trying to impress?

Allison's dad.

Forget he students, I did all of this performing and doing what great teachers did for Allison's dad.

All this man wanted to do was watch me teach his daughter how to infer using quotes from a passage. He wasn't even visiting to help me grade assignments, hang art on the wall, teach a mini-lesson on story structure, or show my students how to juggle. He was there, on the same day principals and administrators were also visiting classrooms mind you, to be convinced his daughter was in good hands being educated by me. 

I don't blame him. He loves his daughter, wants what's best for her, and desires for her to get the best education a 5th grade teacher could offer her. And it's highly unlikely for him to know other schools were coming by to check us out too.

I blame myself. 

After all, I was not hired to inspire parents of fifth grade students. I was not entrusted 25+ students so that their parents could be in awe of my detailed weekly newsletter, amazed by my communication via e-mail and telephone, and be taken aback by my ability to thoroughly conduct parent-teacher conferences with the confidence of a 20-year veteran educator. So, why was I trying so hard to impress Mr. Tweed Suit Man? I knew in my heart I was teaching because I wanted to make the student's lives better, not a late-30s man in a suit watching me teach for the first time. It was meant to be, "Hello Students, Mr. Fitz, at your service," not "Hello Mr. Tweed-Suit Man, Mr. Fitz, at your service." A subtle distinction, but important.

Unfortunately, Mr. Tweed Suit Man is a representation of how easy it is to lose sight of the real mission. Allison's dad symbolizes every time I get swept up in how I am perceived by others in order to gain their approval. Forget how God sees me and the important role he has me playing when I am trying so hard to impress the Tweed Suit men of my life.

Sometimes he is disguised as my wife. Sometimes my boss, or the parents of students I teach. Even myself, perhaps. I often try so hard to prove my worth - to prove I am enough, that I deserve to be a teacher of children. Worse, I continually reflect on my work and tell myself it wasn't good enough even if I have plenty to smile about. 

No matter who dons that suit and sits in the classroom of my mind and heart, I spend so much of my energy devoted to pleasing that person or people, that I forget who I should actually be doing the best work for. Under the topic of teaching, the obvious answer is that my best work should be done for the students. After all, they learn best when I put my best foot forward. 

However, even the kids should not be primary reason why I do the work to the best of my ability: "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). It may sound cliché, but when we allow our daily mission statement to be to reflect the glory of God in everything we say and do, it changes our inward mindset and outward posture. Our view of the day is seen through the same lens of God. Our problems, obstacles, and issues seem miniscule in the grand scheme of God's design. Even our victories are only a small fraction of the bigger picture God has in mind.

What does this mantra of doing everything for the glory of God look like on a day-to-day basis? Answer: The theme song of my childhood, sung by none other than my dad. 

This is the day
This is the day

This is the day that the Lord has made

That the Lord has made

I will rejoice

I will rejoice

I will rejoice and be glad in it

And be glad in it.

I couldn't tell you who sung the song, and I am almost certain it didn't win a Grammy, but it doesn't make the message behind it any less powerful and true.

What resonates with me about this song is what it emphasizes. We can all rejoice in anything to the point of idolizing it. According to Merriam-Webster, rejoice means "to feel joy or great delight," so if we want to rejoice in a great Netflix documentary or having a three-day weekend to celebrate an obscure holiday, we could. But this song is emphasizing who made the day and taking delight in it. Dallas Baptist University** defines glorifying God as "to mirror His image, which is to love, and to love generously, as he does." I believe God takes great delight in what he made, and if we are to take delight in each day he made, we are mirroring his image by loving what he loves in the way he loves it. This song takes my heart and mind back to why I even try to be my best in all I do. 

Secondly, Matthew 22:37 says, "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind." Loving the Lord looks like being your best with the right motives, motives that glorify God. Solomon once prayed to God, "Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong" (1 Kings 3:9) - as the story goes, God granted wise Solomon this wish, and gave him a lot more than just what he asked for, making him the richest king in human history. Solomon doesn't ask God to give him the power to please the man in the tweed suit with a mind-blowing lesson plan, or to move up the corporate ladder. No, he asks that God will give him a discerning heart. Why? It glorifies God.  

For me, glorifying God is taking delight in each day as an opportunity to serve the students with incredible opportunities to learn and grow; glorifying God is using wisdom to distinguish between right and wrong so I can help the students know the difference too. It's not about the man in the tweed suit, gaining national notoriety, or making more money than needed to survive. When it becomes about my own advancement, it changes who I serve and glorify. My god becomes about me, my agenda, and making my needs the highest priority when I take my focus off of God and how to glorify him. This is what caused the downfall of Solomon. He took his eyes off of honoring God and instead focused on how his wealth, prosperity, and position could make him his own god. At some point, the tweed-suited man distracted Solomon from what initially crowned him king.

If you struggle with fixing your eyes on God and using your life to glorify him, it helps to identify the tweed-suit man in your life. Maybe you've got great intentions, but your motivation is wrong. For example, me putting together the right lesson plan that was flawless is a noble endeavor, but doing it to impress who I thought was the principal of another school was wrong. Or maybe, you're in the muddy part of life, deep in sin and rebellion and you desire to put to death those ugly habits that overshadow a life protected by the love of the Father. In the end, you're not glorifying God, but the flesh.

In either case, a good starting point is to recognize where you stepped away from God and what caused it, then allow God to train your heart and mind to turn to him rather than the motives of the flesh. As you dig deep into this heart change, don't forget to put on an attitude of gratitude, rejoicing in each day that the Lord has made. 

I try my best to make each day at school about the kids and glorifying God by how I teach them, but I'll admit, the tweed-suit man often comes through my heart and mind and likes to toy with it. Sometimes, he comes in the room in the form of my boss, and I begin to craft my lesson around pleasing her. Though I do tend to lose focus on the mission at hand: honoring God through the way I teach and love my students, I am grateful for the infinite opportunities to come back the following day stronger than the days leading up to it. 

Through God's grace, I can refocus my attention back on who I am here to serve:

My Lord Jesus Christ. 

At your service.

**"Christ: Our Model for Glorifying God" - https://www.dbu.edu/