Learning from Students
No matter how great of a teacher we think we are, there are always rewards available when we are willing to learn from those we teach.
“It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.
Genesis 41:28-37 ESV
Wisdom of younger generations
Pharaoh was an obvious superior to Joseph, the prisoner. Yet, Pharaoh still listened, with wisdom, to Joseph as Joseph both interpreted his dream and gave a plan of action for the events that were to transpire. Just as Joseph showed a great amount of God-given wisdom when talking with his superior, those under us; in position, stature, wisdom, intelligence, experience or age; may, in fact, wield a great trove of wisdom that we are not aware of.
A mother looked at her daughter one night, knowing that her little girl understood, at least in part, what it meant that Jesus Christ had to die for her sin. The mother asked her little girl if she had given her heart to Jesus. The little girl looked at her mother with a puzzling expression, “Mommy. I thought God already owned everything.” The mother had to stop and think.
Too many times I think we simply get too caught up as teachers that we forget to pay attention to those under us. We are teachers, pastors, Sunday School directors, youth ministers, small group leaders, deacons or mentors. We get so caught up in those titles that we forget the fact that God can bless anyone, even those under us, with His wisdom.
One of my teachers, whom I love and respect, treats our relationship this way. Anytime I approach him with an idea that may spur God’s ministry through us on to greater progress for His kingdom, he replies with how complicated it would be to set something like that up. He then begins to turn every idea I go to him with into some type of lesson. While my goal in going to him with my idea was Great Commission oriented, his goal in replying to me was discipleship. I understand that. I also understand, though, how it feels to be completely shut down every time I go to someone with seniority to pitch a renovative or potentially progressive idea. It is not only demoralizing, but causes a great disinterest in my remaining within that discipling relationship or even continuing ministry within the circumstances. I wonder if others within our churches also feel as though their ideas and thoughts have no matter.
We must not assume more wisdom than those we disciple. They may just have insight or see things from a perspective that we did not consider. They just might have the insight needed to save our people from a famine. We just might learn something.
Reward of older generations
Pharaoh watched as the years of plenty passed and the years of famine came. Because he chose to listen to Joseph, all of his people were provided for and Egypt became a richer nation because the neighboring nations needed food.
So it is when we choose to listen and seriously consider the thoughts of those under us. All others, whom we teach, also benefit and we become more enriched because we have greater insight and a broader perspective. The bottom line is: it never hurts to genuinely listen or to genuinely consider the thoughts and ideas that learners bring to us. We might benefit as teachers. Our churches may also benefit by association.
Of course, this requires, by default, that we not fear change. The reason many younger people are ignored in the postmodern era is because older generations, in general, are afraid of change. This causes the younger generation to leave the church in order that they might find newer styles of worship, a greater Spirit led experience, more proactive outreach, a more aesthetic environment and a more Biblically based and theology-minded congregation. Either that or they are dropping out of church altogether. Now, in many traditional churches we are seeing a gap where the young adult generation should be. When older generations pass, and are with Jesus in eternity, there will be no church administration. No church administration means that the particular local church simply dies out. How is it that we can prevent this local church suicide? How do we ensure that our platform for Christ-centered communal discipleship will not be ruined?
Avoiding local church suicide
In June of 1979, Christian fundamentalists took political action to gain complete control of the Southern Baptist Convention and succeeded after a ten-year plan grew to fruition. Another group of Baptists, now referred to as “moderates”, split from the group because of their fundamentalist outlook. The SBC did not die, but lost a great number of people because “fundamentalists” were unwilling to listen and consider the thoughts and ideas of a group that claimed to want to “help, not hurt; to heal, not wound; to unify, not divide; to focus on the future, not the past” and to “encourage each other, learn from each other, pray for each other and listen to the voice of God through each other”.7
When we do not genuinely listen and consider the thoughts of others, whomever they may be, we undoubtedly cause dissention within God’s church. We can avoid such dissention by genuinely listening and considering thoughts, ideas, proposals and inquisitions of those under us. We do not have to agree, but we should genuinely listen and consider. This will bring a greater unity to God’s church. It will give the younger generation a sense of worth. Instead of directly imposing on them the proprieties we have exalted and are afraid to move away from, we must be willing to let them have a say. This will not only benefit the church, but will also provide for us a greater avenue for discipleship with them. We must not close the door on an opportunity that God is giving us to minister. We must not allow a coming famine to claim the life of our church because we are unwilling to listen. It is students who best know how to reach their peers. It is young adults who best know how to reach young adults. It is senior adults who best know how to reach senior adults. Why not listen?
Change as it relates to discipleship
For those who choose not to listen out of some fear for change, or for those who simply refuse to allow change to ‘corrupt’ the spirituality of the church: God designed us for change.
…then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:7-8 ESV
God placed His prized creation, man, in the garden that He created after man had already experienced life outside of the garden. In fact, we do not know exactly how long Adam had lived outside the garden before God moved him. This says something great about the nature of man as it differs from the nature of God. That is, we were designed to experience change and to adapt to that change. Change that God brings is progressive. He moved Adam to a garden that He planted from a wilderness that had not been worked. Change that we bring about is digressive. Adam and his wife rebelled against God in the garden later on.8
Not only were we designed to experience change, but we also naturally change over time. We experience a vast array of emotions that are always changing. Our thoughts are always changing. Our beliefs are always changing. Our attitudes are always changing. If we are relying on God for that change, then we experience progress as we change. To resolve not to change is to decide not to make progress, in our own relationships with God or for the kingdom of God.
Furthermore, communities experience change. Morals of people change. Sizes of communities change. Popular fashion changes. Popular music changes. If we do not adapt, in our own ministry or the ministry of the church, then we choose to not relate to a changing culture and, in doing so, alienate them completely from the kingdom of God. This is what we do when we live completely submerged within the Christian subculture that we have created. We must be willing to change in order to reach a lost world for Jesus Christ without compromising the faith that has been entrusted to us. Jesus will always be Lord. Sin will always be sin. Intellect will never gain us a place with God for eternity. Our righteous acts are like dirty rags to God. Christ is the only one who can deliver us into righteousness.
We must not fear or avoid change. For, if God created us with the ability to change and the ability to adapt, then by refusing change simply because it is different is an act against God’s created order, and therefore an act against God.