Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Reward For Faithfulness


I thought you would enjoy the following list of "Rules and Regulations for Teachers in 1872":

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys, and trim wicks.

2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and scuttle of coal for the day's sessions.

3. Make your pens carefully: you may whittle nibs to the individual taste of pupils.

4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.

5. After 10 hours in school, the teachers spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

6. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.

7. Each teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or get shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intentions, integrity and honesty.

9. The teacher who performs his labors faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

    I was intrigued by the wording of #9 above.  It sounded somehow familiar to me.  Then it dawned on me that there is a similarity to what Jesus had to say to the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3.

    "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev.2:10b)

    "...[T]hey shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.  He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (Rev. 3:4-5)

    There are a couple of significant differences, though, between the promise given to teachers in 1872 and the promises given by Jesus.  Jesus doesn't require that we live "without fault" (and oh, how I'm thankful for that!).  The reward that Jesus promises is considerably better than 25 cents for every five years of service (and I'm thankful for that as well!).  And it's not a matter of gaining the approval of a group of men.  The only approval that matters is the smile we'll see on our Father's face.

    Father, thank you for the promises that you have given -- not just the promise of a crown or of white garments, but the promise of an opportunity to be in your presence, to be held in your arms.  I don't live before you  "without fault", so I thank you for your grace as I seek to live faithfully as your child.  I commit all that I am and all that I have to be used in your service.  In Jesus' name, amen.

26 comments:

  1. I just love the new place, Alan! Great job. I think you will find this will be a huge blessing to many more than the ones on your mailing list.

    Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many blessings you have sent to me over the past 10 years or so. I marvel at it being that long, when it doesn't seem so.

    Blessing to you and yours! God please bless this blog and grant peace to those who come here. Amen.

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  2. You mean I get to be first? I would have preferred a wordpress.com blog, but glad to see where we can lob a comment back at you.

    I'm glad for heavenly grace and strength to obey;
    Glad not to be a teacher of an earlier day.

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  3. I too am thankful that our reward does not depend on a board of men for approval. I am also thankful that this was not my teaching contract. Thanks for the chuckle

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  4. Thanks for all you do. I hope this will just make it better!

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  5. Wonderful! Just don't let blogspot drive you crazy!

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  6. GREAT, Alan! Love it!

    Don Wood

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  7. Hmmm...men teachers could apparently "court", but women teachers would be fired if they married. Causes one to think. Love the blog, by the way. Keep up the excellent work.

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  8. Someone has sent me an e-mail and pointed out that the list of rules for teachers is not genuine. Indeed, I failed to adequately do my research. You can check it out here: http://www.snopes.com/language/document/1872rule.asp.

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  9. its a blessing...you are a blessing. am no teacher...but i love all here

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  10. I've enjoyed all your Thoughts For the Day. Today is our 48th wedding anniversary, so the list of rules and regulations was cute. I'm glad they didn't have one for married couples. ha. We are blessed. I look forward to your inspiration thoughts. God bless you.
    Barbara

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  11. Great idea Allan. Keep the humor and insight coming. I have enjoyed if for years, whether we were in Thailand or Ghana, and even now back in the USA. God is good!

    Glen
    hallead.blogspot.com

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  12. Alan,

    I'm thrilled you've made a blog of this. I'll steer as many people this way as I can.

    As for the rule about marriage, I can tell you that that one's true. My grandparents married in 1922 and had to keep their marriage secret so that my grandmother could keep teaching. They were found out, however, because someone saw them holding hands in public (an obvious sign of marriage).

    Grace and peace,
    Tim Archer

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  13. I'm delighted that your good thoughts will be spread even more widely now. Will they be as easy to print and forward this way as before?

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  14. Mary,

    I will still be sending TFTD out by e-mail and would think that it would be easier to print it and forward it from that format.

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  15. We use your devotionals all the time in our prison ministy. We also use them at church. Thanks for all you do
    Teresa Bateman

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  16. Great work, Alan. Don't spend too much on the internet, though, friend. Spend that time on your knees! Thank you for all the hard work you do to minister to us all.

    Charles Delcambre

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  17. Thank you for the past years and the years to come that you have brightened my day. I always look forward to your emails. God Bless you and yours.

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  18. I'm so glad that God's rulles are rooted in love and that He gives us grace. I have to say too, though, that I am really glad I don't live during the time when those rules were active!

    Thanks for all you do and for the encouragement your devotionals provide!

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  19. You would not believe how many times we use your articles for our bulletin--they are almost always perfectly sized and REALLY good. If you ever retire from full time work, KEEP ON WRITING!

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  20. Welcome to the blog world! I'm sure many will be blessed by it!

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  21. G'day mate,
    What a great testimony that awaits you Alan, these messages are shared all around my office. God was the centre of the teachers profile 137yr ago and now He is right out of the school system. And we are non the richer for this law. Blessing to you and your family Alan.

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  22. Love the new site. Your emails are always a highlight of my week. This is great work you are doing for his kingdom. Thanks

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  23. I always look forward to your emails. Keep up the good work.

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  24. "Just at the right time"....your word for the day is always so apt and encouraging! A cheerful heart is indeed good medicine from the Lord! Bless you!

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  25. Great! Allan, you get me inspired more and more each day I read from you.

    God bless you and give you the wisdom to continue what you're doing.

    Fred_gh

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  26. Great!

    I wish you were my bible teacher. You keep me encouraged each day I read from you.

    May God bless you and always give you the wisdom to continue the good work you're doing.

    Fred_gh

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