A Classroom Observation

I work for the state in an interim position, lasting until next year. As part of my job, it was deemed  necessary, and mandatory, to attend 4 training classes, spread out through the next month and a half. I thought it was going to be real training classes, where I would learn new information that I could utilize for my job, but, as it would turn out, quite the opposite. The things I learned had nothing to do with my job, nor did it seem that anyone else was learning the same things as I! God was there, right beside me, opening my eyes to things I suspected, but was now truly confirmed.

God holds the WORLD because He CREATED it!

1 John 2:15-16 says, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world." This was a reminder of what I was witnessing inside of this classroom. Pride and the love of the world and the things in it! There were roughly 25-30 in our class and 20 minutes into the start, I felt completely out of place. Not because of the crowd, but because of the subject matter. The world. It was all about creating a "dream" world, focusing on the "things" of this life and making us fantasize about how to make it better. They wanted our ideas, freely given, so they could take it back to the government and try to utilize and put them in place. It was made very clear though, due to the cutbacks, and the impending budget cuts, all state employees would be working twice as hard for less pay, and there would be no monetary compensation for these ideas. Was this a training class for our jobs, or was this a creative writing/arts class? I began watching the interactions of the groups of people and realized real quickly, I didn't belong to any of them. I was ok with that because as I am told in the Scriptures by my Lord and Savior is beautifully spoken in John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. (19) "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." 

Transformed by His Blood

Specific groups had specific "ideas" and as the discussion continued, although the groups were identifiably different, the ideas began to sound the same. Distribution of wealth, tax payer housing for all, universal health care, student loans forgiven totally and CHANGE! Really!?! Oh there were more ideas and presentations, but the whole of the training was about CHANGE. I barely spoke in this class because I honestly just wanted to get out of it and go back to work. I saw many conformed, conditioned minds in that room and the kind of change they were all speaking about was NOT the kind of change the world needed, or the people seeking it!

The kind of change they spoke of would harm this generation more than help the next! Nothing was mentioned about educating the generation coming up behind us. Nothing was mentioned about educating the adults who have never known anything else but welfare because that's how they grew up. Nothing was mentioned about God, and turning towards Him first. The class eventually split up into two groups to do a presentation. We were "supposed" to all give our ideas in a group setting and present it to the class. Naturally, that wasn't the way it happened. As a matter of fact, in our group, there were 4 people dictating what was going to be written down and arguing with those who's opinions differed. Nobody else's ideas mattered. When it came time to present, the number 1 thing at the top of each list was unbelievably the SAME: MONEY! Ours was National Debt and the other groups was RICH. The focus on the love of money is what was driving this class while all throughout the training, my focus was on how many didn't know the Love of Jesus and was focusing on the wrong things. God should have been placed first, then the rest of the "ideas" would have been easily attained. Matthew 6:33-34 Jesus speaks to this very thing by telling us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." How much clearer can this be?!

Then it was lunch time so during lunch, I stayed back at the college, where the classes were being held, and decided to sit out in the hallway at one of the tables they had near the doors. I found a vending machine, purchased some pretzels and a root beer and sat there watching the students coming and going, contemplating what the past 3 hours really meant. This was our future, right here in those halls! And 90% of them had cell phones texting, heads down, noses in the phones. Totally unaware of their surroundings. Unaware of others in their midst. How sad this all was to my spirit. We are living in a progressively aggressive society and nobody seems to care....or at least not show it! We returned to the class and for the next 2 hours, we assessed ourselves, we were supposed to stretch our minds and was told that our ideas needed to be written down and turned in to our supervisors in the next week. I THOUGHT she said this was voluntary, but guess not.

The last thing we discussed was how our jobs could contribute to this "change" and what we could do to help the future. I almost laughed out loud but I dare not since everyone was taking this totally seriously! I refrained from the laughter, I regained my attention span and couldn't wait for this to be over. We need to educate and teach this generation about responsibilities, taking pride in their work, teaching them about how to interview, what to wear, and how to act. If we want to change the future, we have to begin right now...in the present. We don't need to keep giving away everything to those who aren't willing to work. We need to educate them, mentor them and show them a better way so they can do the same thing for their children. That's OUR responsibility! Was I really sitting there with nothing but forward thinking liberals who wanted to give tax payers money freely to those who aren't willing to work for it, while forgiving all student loans, but at the same time not holding anyone accountable for being a responsible citizen? These were the same individuals that would decide the outcome of our election. Praise God that He is in control of ALL of the world, including what He will allow in the election. It's our future and it's part of His plan!

I believe I was sitting smack dab in the midst of the pack, but also decided that the next class session, I would find my voice to speak loudly. God is the center and should be Number 1! He wasn't even mentioned. At all! Mark 8:36-38 sums it ALL up, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (37) "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (38) "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."