I decided to reflect on the scriptural passage above for the simple and guided reason that it has helped me realize the kind of life that God wants me, and every Christian to live. It is significant in that it is a lesson I can put into practice for myself and my students, a lesson teaching us that we are not to let our old sinful nature control our lives. Instead we are to let Christ guide our lives. From this perspective, my faith is both nurtured and directed toward the way that Christ can change my life, helping me to develop a new way of thinking. As I let the thoughts of God replace my thoughts, I can know God’s good and perfect will in my life.

I feel strongly this passage occupies great wisdom for me as a Catholic and moreover, as a future elementary school teacher. It reminds me that I live in the world, but am not to be like the world. It prompts me to live and teach by acting and thinking in a manner that is pleasing to God. By allowing Christ to work in and through my life, I can best nurture my own faith, which will in turn inform my teaching in a way that is most relevant to the lives of my students. The passage reminds

me that teaching is the gift of guiding others to accept the Word of God as the standard for their lives. Every day, I will aim to teach and help my students in their faith learning as they seek to understand the doctrines of the Bible.

The passage is further made relevant to the lives of my students in its explanation that we are different parts of the same body, and since we are different parts, as Christians, we must depend on each other in and outside of the classroom if the body of Christ is going to work effectively. We as a Christian classroom share in the work of the Lord in all that we do. Otherwise, our learning and faith community suffers. We will all commit to be giving, and will be so with generous and willing hearts. We will be kind to one another, and will be so with love. We will act the right way toward the people around us, Christian and non-Christian alike. We will talk about the good that others have done, will rejoice with people when they are happy, and cry with them when they are sad. Most of all, we will keep the love of Christ in our lives so that our loving actions are alive and well in both our personal and classroom lives.

I believe it is important to relate the passage to my students’ own spiritual experience if its teachings are to

Some topics in this essay:
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