Teacher, God can use you

By Elmer Towns

Jim had not volunteered to help in Sunday School because he never finished high school and felt inadequate to be a teacher. When his friend asked Jim if he would sit in the junior boys’ class to help keep down the noise and distractions, he agreed. Jim was a big man and, before his conversion, had a reputation for rowdy behavior. As a result, he still spoke loudly and directly. It was felt that Jim’s presence would quiet the disruptive junior boys.

After one Sunday in class, Jim quipped to his friend the teacher, “I’d cut up, too; you’re boring!”

The next Sunday Jim told the Bible story and the boys listened—spellbound—because of his size and also because of his boisterous mannerisms. Eventually, Jim told Bible stories to the entire junior department and became an effective teacher of young boys.

Maybe you feel that God could never use you, for different reasons from Jim. But the reasons are still crucial to your perception of yourself. People fail to involve themselves in Sunday School over issues such as a poor self-image, a lack of trust in God to work through them, or a lack of wisdom in knowing where and when to serve. Below are a few insights I think are important to consider as you ponder serving in Sunday School.

Remain Faithful

If you think God couldn’t use you, remember that He doesn’t ask you to be successful; He asks you to be willing to serve Him and to be faithful in the task He gives you. God may call you to be a class secretary, a Scripture memory monitor or an assistant teacher like Jim, who found out he could tell a Bible story effectively. Be faithful to God’s calling, because He uses faithful people.

Some people will not work in Sunday School because they think the spiritual results lie in their hands. But remember, it is not your responsibility to “work in the student’s hearts.” That is God’s responsibility. Your responsibility is to pray for God’s blessing, prepare carefully and present God’s truth faithfully. Don’t hold back because you are fearful about results. Be faithful in presenting God’s Word to students; then trust God to make the lesson real in their lives.

Stay Available

Peter and John went up to the Temple at the time of prayer. They met a lame man begging for money. The two disciples didn’t have anything, so Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (Acts 3:6, NIV). The lame man was healed. Notice that Peter and John were used of God because they went to the right place. Is God’s house the right place for you to work? They went at the right time (i.e., the time of prayer). Is Sunday morning the right time for you to serve God? They had the right attitude (i.e., they were aware of their limitations). If you have questions about whether God will use you, consider how God used Peter and John. All they had to offer the man was the message of Jesus Christ. That should be your response, too. God can use you when you give out the right message.

Some people might not be serving because they don’t have time or they are too busy. That may be true. In today’s society, most people are busier than they’ve ever been. That means you will have to prioritize your time. Make sure you place the most important things at the top of your schedule. That should include Bible study, prayer and church attendance. But you should also include time for serving the Lord. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23, NIV). It may be a sacrifice to work in Sunday School, but it also may be something you should do. You may have to deny yourself some other pleasures, but God will reward you for doing it.

GOD USES THOSE WHO WANT TO BE USEFUL.

Believe His Promise

God has promised that if you will exalt His Son, the message of Jesus Christ will attract your students to salvation. “And I, if I am lifted up … will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).

God will use you when you have the right attitude and the right message. When you faithfully serve Him, your Sunday School ministry will be used of God. He uses those who want to be useful.

Elmer L. Towns, What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know (Ventura, CA: Regal; Gospel Light, 2001), 20–24.