WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT THE LORD

A Blog by Rev. Grace Verrier

After many years of ministry, and having my “congregations” change every six years (I taught children 6-12 years old) I became very familiar with the curriculum I taught.  My goal in presenting the six-year curriculum was to familiarize children with the layout of the Bible and teach them how God used individuals and groups of people to accomplish his purposes.   I also wanted to show the children how all of this information is still relevant today and we can use it in our own lives.

After many years of “working” at fulfilling my writing and teaching goals, I felt that I had accomplished what I had set out to do and I began to get rather complacent.  One morning with only minimal preparation and a hurried prayer I stood before the children fully convinced I was ready to teach.  (During worship time the Lord seemed to say to me, “Do you really think that you are that good that you can minister to children without me?”  I heard what He said, but I really didn’t take it to heart.)

We left the sanctuary and went to class and it was as if the children had been given a pound of chocolate and had an extreme “sugar high”.  It took me about 15 minutes to get them settled.  Then they became complacent, staring off into space and taking no part in the program.   Finally one said out loud, “This is boring!”  That is when I quickly repented and asked God to “take over” the class.  Needless to say I learned my lesson and appropriated the scripture, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain who build it.”  (Ps 127:1)

When I was a new Christian I thought, “I am doing a really good job for God.”  After about five years of knowing Christ, I thought, “God and I are really doing a good job together.”  Now I know that, “God is doing a good job and I am just along for the ride.”

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