Why I need Jesus...

As a college professor, I get exposed to a lot of things. Co-workers that don't cooperate, administrators that don't understand and student that don't want to work for their grades. One thing that irks me the most is students not wanting to give anything back for the amount of work that I pour into my classes. I also get to see students make TONS of mistakes, many self inflicted, and then look for someone else to bail them out. I get to hear all of their excuses: WiFi not working, dog ate my work, dog died, grandmother died...the same grandmother that died last year at this very same time of year, doctor ordered bedrest...for an ingrown toenail. The list goes on and on. Students are always looking for a bailout plan. They create terrible schedules and then expect some administrator to wave a wand and fix what they have done. They slack off for weeks before a test, fail the exam and immediately ask if they can "turn in corrections for bonus points...". They wait until the last minute to check their grades and then realize, "Wow, I am failing this course!" Excuse after excuse, mistake after mistake...and I get to see it all and hear it all. I could write a book and become very rich off it but I refuse to profit off of the apathy and laziness of someone else. It does make for interesting conversation fodder with family and friends though .

So, seeing all of this, I realize why I need Jesus to live within me. I need Jesus so that I will know when to extend mercy and grace and when to execute judgment. My least favorite time of year is issuing grades. The compassionate side of me wants to pass every student because I look for the good in everyone and yet I have to evaluate them based on their works. This is the same principle we see illustrated in 1 Corinthians 3 when believers, not judged to go to hell because they are saved, are judged to receive rewards in heaven based on what they with what God gave them and how they built on the foundation that Jesus Christ is and laid. Every man's work will be tested by fire and found out. I need Jesus so that when the person who's messed up so many times finally gets it right, I can respond with praise and not sarcasm.   I need Jesus so that I can give a reality check to the one that has been slacking all semester and decides to get it together with one week of school left. I need Jesus because without Him, I would have lost it by now and may be out of a job! Newspaper reads, "Tuskegee Professor decks student for asking the dumbest question ever..." I need Jesus so that my words will be gracious and my spirit compassionate towards those that have screwed up in the worst way and yet need mercy and not judgment. This is a job that, if done with Jesus, becomes more and more enjoyable by the year. Without Christ, my job would be miserable.

Now, let us all put our own lives in perspective.   I can understand, even if it is only slightly, how God feels about us. We screw up constantly, and by our own doing, and we look to God for forgiveness. In His love, He forgives us. In His divinity, He cannot be driven to madness like we humans can. His patience and lovingkindness are everlasting because he realizes that we are but dust (Psalm 103). Does God get exasperated? I don't know. The bible speaks of God getting angry with the Israelites at times for their failure to obey Him so I imagine that at times, we can give God a headache...metaphorically speaking. We also see this in Genesis 6 when God says, point blank, "My Spirit will not strive with man forever." Does God get fed up? Ask Korah and his contingent (Numbers 16) or better yet, ask Noah. Even still, God gave Noah ~120 years to build the ark and hence the people had 120 years to repent!  

Ephesians 5:1 says that we should be imitators of God i.e. we should mimic God when showing love to one another. We need Jesus so that we can love the way that God loves and see people as God sees them. Let's pray that we are kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other as God has forgiven each of us. May God bless each of you during this Christmas season!