Why We Keep Teaching, Even in Weakness | Raising the Young for Christ Ent. 9

Artwork Credit: Kids with Geese (ca. 1901) by Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907). Public domain image accessed via Artvee.com.

    After some time in Sunday School, we begin to realize that our strength is never enough for the task. Preparing lessons, managing behavior, praying for fruit, and longing to see children grow in Christ can make us aware of our own limits. Yet the very awareness of weakness can remind us that this is the Lord’s work, not ours.

    Paul wrote, “And who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16, NKJV). The implied answer is that no teacher, on their own, is sufficient. We may prepare as well as we can, but if God does not work, the lesson will be empty. At the same time, Paul also testified, “Our sufficiency is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5, NKJV). This gives us courage to continue, even when our voices falter or our energy feels thin.

    In our church, there are Sundays when the numbers are few and the classroom feels quiet. At other times, the children are present but restless. In those moments, it is tempting to wonder whether the effort is worth it. But then we recall that the Lord often uses what seems small to accomplish what is great. He chose fishermen to preach the gospel, a boy’s lunch to feed thousands, and a stable for the birth of the Savior. Why should He not use a simple Sunday School class to plant seeds of truth?

    We may sometimes feel that our teaching is weak or imperfect. Yet God can use weak vessels to display His strength. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). This means that our task is not to appear flawless but to be faithful. If the children see us depending on the Lord, they may learn from that example as much as from the lesson itself.

    The reason we keep teaching, even in weakness, is because the message we hold out is strong. The gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16, NKJV). That power does not depend on our ability but on His Spirit working through His Word.

    So we go on, even when we feel tired, even when results are unseen, even when our words stumble. We go on because Christ is worthy, because children need Him, and because God delights to use weak servants in His mighty plan.