“You’ll be teaching the class for the hearing-impaired, as well as the classes for the socially and emotionally disturbed and the physically impaired.” It was my first music teaching job, and I was feeling less than perfect to teach these three groups, especially deaf people. How could I teach music to children who are deaf or hard of hearing?
However, they turned out to be the highlight of my day. One boy would say, “Pehfeh”—his pronunciation for perfect— when he had done something well. This memory returned to me while I taught my primary Sunday school class.
As I explained our memory verse, the discussion around the word “perfect” fascinated me (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Does God expect us to be perfect? Can we be perfect? The answer is no. As we examined several other translations of these verses, we found other words: complete (NKJV, ESV), thoroughly equipped (NIV), fully capable (NASB20), and fitted (YLT).
When something is perfect, we can’t do anything to improve it. That is our standing with God. Although it may be hard for our finite, imperfect minds to grasp, God loves us just the way we are. He saw every flaw, and yet He still chose to send His Son to the cross to make us perfect, complete, thoroughly equipped, capable, and fitted for the task He gives us to do, like my teaching music to deaf children. It seemed impossible, but nothing is impossible with God. Much prayer went into those classes, and by His grace, I learned a lot. I even believe the students learned as well.
If you feel less than perfect because you are not equipped or fully capable for the task before you, remember who called you. He will also equip you. Only by God’s grace can you accomplish anything.
Wanda MacAvoy lives in Cogan Station, PA, where she enjoys writing in the beautiful mountains of central Pennsylvania. As a pastor’s wife for over thirty years, Wanda has enjoyed making the Bible come alive to her students, young and old alike. She is presently teaching at a Christian school but has taught in public schools and homeschooled her children as well. She also enjoys speaking at conferences and retreats. Wanda writes in several genres: Christian historical fiction, devotional books, children’s books, and short stories. She and her husband have three married children and fourteen grandchildren. For more information, visit her website: Beyond Common Sense at wandamacavoy.com.