2 Peter 3:1 (NIV)
“Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.”
I gave a new writing prompt to my students for their next writing assignment: “How Incoming 4th Graders Can Survive Mrs. Nichols Class.”
We brainstormed all the things every future student of mine should know. I heard fun ones about my love of chocolate cake or “if you are about to puke, just go, don’t wait to ask.” I heard the typical “respect Mrs. Nichols” or “give your full attention.” I especially enjoyed watching them come up with these survival tips with a sense of seriousness.
After coming up with 16 tips, we began to choose the top three that would make it into the essay. All of a sudden, one of the students shouted out, “Wait, we forgot one!”
Everyone got quiet and looked at him. “Look above the board.”
“Yes,” the class agreed.
One girl chanted “Think before you speak.”
Soon the whole class had joined in, “Think before you speak. Think before you speak.” And in that moment I felt like I had won teacher of the year.
Allow me to explain. Across the front of the room, above the board, are the following key words: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
Throughout the year they have seen me point to the words over my should a number of times encouraging them with Philippians 4:8. We use it as a check for what we should say or even before that, what we should think about. Paul encourages us to “think on these things.” This is a great guide to choosing a joke to tell, or a book to read, or a movie to watch, or what to say to someone.
If my students leave 4th grade thinking before they speak and taking Philippians 4:8 with them, then I have successfully done my job!
Peter writes with one of his goals being “to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.”
May we take Peter’s words to heart.
