"I'm not supposed to say a student is unlovely!" I know that's not the politically correct term when talking about a student, but we all think it and feel it. "I can't stand that kid!" has gone through my mind too often in the classroom. I can think seemingly good thoughts: "Oh, I wish he would change!" But those thoughts normally are centered on me and my wants, so they are more selfish than helpful. I am very eager for students to change, yet my eagerness hardly ever pours over into prayer for them.

I am going to talk about two verses in Scripture. I hope they help us sit down and pray that God strengthen us to walk in them.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6).

"Love is patient..." (1 Cor. 13:4).

Why did I pick these two verses?

I picked these verses because one deals with who we are and what freely has been given to us. The other deals with how, in light of what has freely been given to us, we should relate to other sinners.

I use the word sinners because that is what the Bible says we are. We are called many things, such as sinner, ungodly, vile, unclean, etc. The Bible describes us as incredibly weak. As sinners, we sin and can do no more. Even on our best days, in our greatest good that we do sin in intermingled in with our efforts.