As I sit and write today, it is Valentine’s Day. No matter your opinion about whether it is a made-up holiday created by the greeting card companies or not, it does make us think about the topic of love and feelings. Our tendency is to think about the romantic feelings that are a part of our lives, but life is made up of a lot of other areas. Many of these areas should be infused with love. Our ministries have to be one of those. We should love the God we serve. We should love the opportunities that God gives us. And, for those of us working with students, we should love the students and the families that God has blessed us to work with. However, that isn’t always as easy as it should be.
You have probably had a student or two over the years who has been a challenge to love. They push your buttons in those extra special ways that can make you question your resolve to serve. Sometimes, it can be the parents who are a little hard to love. As people who work with students, we must learn not to just serve our students and the church. It is important to learn to love them. How do we do that? There are some things that we must remember:
• God made our students in His image. We find this truth in Gen. 1:27 (ESV), “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” We are image bearers of our great God and creator. That can be hard to see at times. Our students are works in progress. Their brains aren’t fully developed, and there are all types of hormones running through their systems. We constantly have to remind them to avoid stupid choices, and yet they still fail. Through it all, we must remember that they deserve love and dignity.
• Jesus died for our students. In John 3, we learn that Jesus died for us, the lost. If He was willing to lay aside the wonders of heaven for you, is there a reason He wouldn’t do it for your students? Jesus loved them enough for that. While they can seem unlovable and sometimes act like jerks, they are still worthy of our time and energy. Jesus placed great value on them. We should as well.
• Our students’ stories have been shaped by their experiences. I grew up in a home with both a mom and a dad for my entire childhood. Divorce wasn’t something I had to worry about. My family wasn’t perfect, but it was different than many of the students that I have worked with over the years. While my life experiences have shaped me, my students have been shaped by theirs. Whether it is divorced parents, the death of a loved one, or other heartbreak, our students can become anxious and erratic. They can lack trust. They may need more attention. Whatever their past, they need your love today.
• Our students’ families simply want the best for their children. Our students’ parents can be challenging. However, most of the time, those challenges come from a place of concern for their own children. As student ministry workers, we need to love our students and their families. If we take the time to truly care for students, their families can become our greatest supporters. In addition, our students will graduate and may move off to college, but their families will remain. Love them well.
Loving our students isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be one of the hardest things to do. However, it can also be one of the most rewarding. Let me encourage you to move from just tolerating the tough students to loving them. Pray for them. Make the effort. The extra work now can make a difference for eternity.
How do you grow in loving your students? How do you see past the difficulties and love like Jesus? Share your insights at Facebook.com/groups/StudentMinistryMattersCommunity.
