Is my job an extension of who I am in Christ?
God has given me a job to do. First of all, to be his follower. To do his will. To bring him the glory he deserves. This is the job he has given all people. Since I'm a Christian, this is my primary responsibility. So, above all else, this is my mission in this life.
God has currently given me another job to do. I'm a school teacher in a relatively high need setting. Is doing my job well, by human standards, part of what God desires that I do/be? Must I strive to be the best teacher of mathematics that I can to be serving God and his will in the highest capacity that I can? My insides tell me, yes. However, I don't know if that is from God or from the general christian culture I live in.
Back to the first job God has given me. What is his will, and what brings him glory in my job? His will states (aka the greatest commandment) that I should love God with all my heart and secondly, love my neighbor as myself. It seems that practically speaking, the doing of my job by human standards is of little value in the "love God with all your heart" category. Doing my job well in the category of "love your neighbor as yourself" may be a more debatable topic in my mind. However, God does command me to obey the laws of man. The laws of teaching (and therefore, man) encourage me to be the best teacher I can be.
The doing of my job well should also influence the "love my neighbor as myself" category in an extreme way. These students look to me for ultimate guidance in the area of math first and foremost. Loving them, would be to teach it in an easily understandable manner such that they're prepared for the next level and ultimately a little more prepared for life in the real world.
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Rules: Hard and fast, or an extension of grace?
It is my belief that rules exist for a reason and they're to be followed. God tells us to obey the laws of the land and since I make the laws of my land, students should follow them. If I don't obey the laws of the land I live in, I don't always receive a physical consequence. However, I have to believe that God judge me eventually (without the presence of Christ in my life). So, do students always get a physical consequence if they do not follow these rules? I'm reminded of the phrase, "don't spare the rod" in regards to child rearing.
It's easy for the teacher to let students get away with breaking rules. It makes you more popular among students. It also makes you look better to administrators. On the outside, everyone benefits from lacking enforcement of rules; at least initially. Eventually, I conclude this would lead to destructive behavior and selfish actions. I think this breeds a kind of dark, uneducated, impoverished culture.
