DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STUDENTS

DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING

EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE STUDENTS

FOREWORD

Relationship means “a state of connectedness between people” or “a state involving mutual dealings between people, parties or countries”. It is interesting to note that animals have the capacity to live alone. For instance, a Dog can survive without seeing or relating with another Dog throughout its lifetime but it is not so with human beings! It will be difficult for any human being to survive all alone, from the first day of his birth, until his death, without relating with other people!

We will recall that right from the beginning, God saw that as good as the man He created was, for the man to be alone was considered by God as not good enough! God saw that the man needed a relationship, which He provided for in the creation a woman for him (Gen. 2:18).

Jesus further strengthened this assertion when He sent His disciples to go into every city and place where He would come. The Bible says:

“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.” Luke 10:1-4 (KJV)

Whereas, Jesus did not allow them to take purse, which is money, scrip, which is travelling bag and shoes for this journey but there was one thing Jesus ensured that they had, as they were going, and that is partners! None of these disciples went without a partner. Jesus, by this, inferred that it is possible to survive in ministry without money in the purse. Jesus meant that we could survive in our mission work, even if there is nothing in our bags like clothes and other effects that we think we may need. Whereas, we could do without these items, which many people consider being very important in life and ministry, but the truth is that, we cannot do without partners or relationship! Jesus is saying that, a man can survive in life and ministry if he has access to good relationship though he may not have access to good money.

It is important for us therefore to note that, though our students may not need so much of our money as much as they need us! In fact, people do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care! It means, even if we have no money or clothes to give our students, they will yet become what God wanted them to become if we offer them true relationship! The truth is that good and effective relationship with our students is necessary if they are going to attain an enviable height in God and in godliness.

DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING

EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIP:

The Bible admonishes

“And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities,

Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24,25 (AMP)

The words Amplified Bible used in the above verses bring us to how we can curry the kind of relationship that will be of help to our students.

Practical Discussion:

·        What is the meaning of the words ‘consider’; ‘give attentive’; ‘continuous care’?

·         What is the meaning of this statement: “studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities”?

·         What does it mean to watch over one another?

·         Under what atmosphere can this be done?

Mode of Operation (Heb. 10:24,25)

The Bible commanded us to give the matter of watching over one another a good consideration and a continuous care. In other words, just as we sit down to look at the lessons we are going to teach the students regularly, so we should also brainstorm the issue of watching over them regularly.

There is a need for us come up with a workable modality of how to watch over them, based on environment and other notable factors. Such factors may include age, sex, marital status, profession, location of residence etc. For instance, it may not be correct for a single sister, who is a Sunday School Teacher, to develop a relationship with another single brother or even a married man with a view of watching over him.

Personal Relationship (Gen. 18:17-19)

Since relationship is about connectedness between people, it means, there can be no relationship without friendship. We cannot achieve the act of provoking, stimulating, inciting another to love, helpful deeds and noble activities by distant relationship. No apprentice can ever be like his master if he is not close enough to see what his master is doing. There is no way we can make the students to practice what we are teaching them if they do not have opportunity to see us doing the same thing we are teaching them.

Correct personal relationship with the students should involve becoming their friends and sometime, inviting them over to our homes, in order for them to see how we live practically. It should also involve visiting them, in order to strengthen their hearts in what we are teaching them. This will afford us the opportunity to see their weaknesses and areas where they need help. It will also present them opportunities to ask questions from us, which should help us in our prayers for them in the lessons we pass across to them.

The hand of fellowship, which God stretched towards Abraham, brought out the intercessor in him. Abraham grew enough confidence to ask God questions because God presented Himself as a friend to him. Our students will also do what is right if we present ourselves to them as their friends.

The Life of a Teacher (Acts 1:1; Judges 7:16-18)

It is not cheap to be a teacher. A teacher is primarily a doer! (Acts 1:1) A man or a woman, who teaches, should first believe in what he is teaching and such a teacher should be walking in what he or she teaches. Teaching is simply discipleship. The students are encouraged when they see a man who is an example of the lessons taught in the class. This gives the students the spontaneous impetus needed to come closer to the teacher and even develop a lasting relationship with the teacher. Men like Nicodemus, Zacchaeus and others found it easy to come to Jesus because of the life the message they saw in Him (John 3:1-2; Lk. 19:2-9).

Identifying with the Students (John 11:1-4,33-36)

It is also very important for us to know that there is a need to identify with the students in their needs or in their trying times, if we are interested in developing and maintaining an effective relationship with them. Jesus wept to identify with His friends in their sorrow. We cannot distant ourselves from the students and yet expect that they will learn from us.