1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. (ESV)
Our display of special character goes beyond what happens in the classroom. One student, for whom I was writing a report recently, has improved a great deal this year. However, they still have some areas of self-management where they can improve. I wanted to be realistic but encouraging when writing the report comment.
I wrote the comment, then asked a teacher who worked closely with that student to check whether I had attained the right balance.
While a non-Christian might seek to copy such a strategy, this does not naturally arise out of care and concern for the student as someone made in the image of God and who Christ potentially died and was raised for.
Christianity is more than an outward task - it is outward fruit arising from the Spirit within.
